You've Past the Point of No Return
by tbloodlover1000
Summary: Sookie finally comes home from her time in Fae with the mind set that she will have nothing more to do with vampires. But with her gifts now known throughout the supernatural community, her life is in more danger than ever before.
1. Chapter 1

Set two months after the Season 3 finale (I do not own the characters-these characters belong to Charlaine Harris and HBO)

Chapter One:

He smelled her before he saw her. He scanned the bar quickly from his throne on his stage, trying to spot her in the large crowd. He nearly smiled out of pure joy when he finally saw her, but didn't. Vampires weren't supposed to smile-well, he wasn't while he was on duty at _Fangtasia_. Had to keep up appearances, not only for the humans who were fascinated with vampires and had their own image of them, but also to the vampires who lived in his area. He couldn't look as if he was going soft-especially for a mortal.

She looked beautiful. She wore white (of course) and her blond hair, that happened to be the same shade as his, was down and curled softly at the ends. She looked… at peace. This surprised him. When he saw her just two months ago, she was crying and screaming how much she hated him and his kind; the insolent Bill Compton had broken her heart.

Eric should have killed him long ago.

It had seemed like such a long time since he had last seen her. He respected her wishes and stayed away, but after trying, and failing, to sense her through their small bond, he began to worry. Where had she run off? Surely he would have sensed her if she left town. Left Louisiana. But he couldn't.

Now, she was back. And he felt as if he was being born again. Only this time, he could see the light. This time there was no darkness.

Damn her for having this effect on him.

She approached his throne slowly, deliberately, as if calculating her next few moves. He understood why she was wary. They hadn't seen each other since that night. Seeing her again made him just want to jump up, take her in his arms, and fly far away from there with her. Make love under the moon and stars and shut out the chaotic world around them. Forget about vampires, werewolves, and fairies. Kings, Queens, and ex-lovers… have it just be them…

Damn her for having this effect on him.

She smiled a slow, almost mischievous smile, as if she had some wild plan in store for him. "Hello, Eric", she said, her southern accent noticeable even in just those two simple words.

"Sookie", he said in an even tone, his face not giving away the shock and happiness he felt in seeing her here, "How have you been?"

"Oh, you know… alright I suppose. I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment… alone…", she said back to him, her mischievous smile still in place.

Eric didn't know what to think about this 180 Sookie was pulling, but decided to reflect on it later. He wanted to be alone with Sookie too, badly. He was even willing to admit that he wanted to be alone and simply be with her since the moment he saw her in _Fangtasia_ four months before.

"Let's go to my office, shall we?" Eric suggested. Sookie nodded and walked off the stage and toward the direction of his office. It pleased him that she was finally taking the initiative when it came to their relationship-if you could even call it that. _She_ came to _his _bar, _she_ confronted _him_, and _she_ wanted to be alone with _him. _My, how the tables have turned.

Eric closed his office door behind him. Sookie's back was to him. Being alone with her now, with no one else watching, no one else listening, he was finally able to just… be with her.

When she heard the door close, she turned around and faced the tall Viking head on. Though she was a foot shorter than him, and much weaker, she held herself with such confidence around him and never showed any fear-even if she felt it. He had always admired that about her. "What do you want, Sookie", he asked softly in a non-accusative tone.

He waited as different emotions spread across her face and through her brown eyes. She smiled again. This time is it was a genuine smile. A smile he was used to seeing. A smile that often brings light into his dark life.

She walked up to him again, and lightly laid her right hand on his firm chest. She stood up on her tiptoes and ran her mouth softly over his. Eric closed his eyes and marveled in the sensation of her mouth that was only barely touching his. He had only kissed her once, and that feeling was just as exquisite as the taste of her sweet fae blood. "I want you", she said softly.

To this statement, Eric opened his blue eyes to stare into her brown ones. Was she telling the truth? _Who cares_, a part of him said, _just take. She is giving, so take_. No, he would take his time with Sookie Stackhouse. He had wanted her for so long, made a vow to himself that he would have her, and keep her, and he wanted to make sure that she was ready now. He had wanted to wait for her to make the decision. The Viking in him had grown impatient, but he controlled himself, and his urges, and waited. Now, he finally had her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and berated himself immediately. _Are you sure!_ _What the hell is wrong with me! _

Sookie chuckled and kissed him softly. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this".

Eric put his arms around her waist and dragged her close to his cold, hard body. "I think I do", he rasped out, and his mouth dove down and caught hers in a searing kiss. Their mouth's tangoed for a few minutes, but their needs only intensified. Eric slowly, not breaking their contact, walked them over to his desk. He carefully lifted Sookie off the ground and set her lightly on his desk. Sookie slid his black tank up and ranked her hands down his chest and abs. Eric, not sure how much longer he could keep control, began to un-tie Sookie's white dress. He untied the halter-top and began a line of kisses from her face, down her neck, and to her now exposed chest.

Sookie moaned and held onto Eric for dear life, not wanting to break contact, not wanting him to stop. Eric could hear her moaning his name as he kissed his way down her body. He was so excited, so ready. He had been waiting for this for so long…

Then, the phone rang…

Eric was jarred from his daydream and picked up his phone with a look of pure rage and disgust on his face. He looked down at his desk in front of him and saw, to his utter disappointment, no ready-and-waiting Sookie Stackhouse.

Damn her for having this effect on him.

Eric answered the phone, his irritation evident to the other person on the line. He would have been ready to scold them and make them feel utterly worthless if they hadn't of given him the news he had been waiting so impatiently to hear for months.

Sookie Stackhouse had finally come home.


	2. Upsetting Reunions

**This chapter (and chapter 3) contains slight spoilers from True Blood Season 4. Chapter 3 will be posted soon! Enjoy:**

**Chapter Two: Upsetting Reunions **

Sookie ran as fast as her legs could take her, looking back only once to make sure they were not after her. Her breaths came out in pants as she ran along the little dirt path that led her back to her house from the cemetery. She wasn't sure how everything happened when it did; it all happened so quickly. She had been talking to her Gran's grave, and then Claudine came again and offered her an escape.

Lord knows she needed an escape.

Her heart was broken, and she was alone. Bill, her first love, had betrayed her. So many of her relationships were severed or destroyed because of him. He had taken everything from her, and if it weren't for Eric, he would have taken her freedom as well.

She left with Claudine, her "fairy godmother" to go to Fae and live among people who were like her. These people also had a "disability" that she suffered from- telepathy. But most importantly, these people hid from vampires; the bloodthirsty creatures who roamed the night. That was just where she needed to be.

Sookie began to feel guilty for leaving her friends and family behind, and attempted to leave. The Fairy Queen Regent, who told her she was not permitted to go, forcefully stopped her. She told Sookie that after vampires drank large quantities of her blood, they were able to walk in the sun briefly and also enabled one to enter Fae. She saw Sookie as a risk to all faeries, and wanted her to be contained.

After a very heated discussion between the two ended with Sookie blasting the Queen's face with her "microwave fingers", Sookie took off and dived into the pool that was considered the portal to different worlds all the while panicking that she was going to have yet another supernatural creature hunting her. Once she landed back in the cemetery, she sprinted towards her home, hoping that the faeries didn't follow her. The last thing she needed was another supernatural creature trying to kill her.

Sookie finally reached her home. The 150-year-old Stackhouse home looked a lot cleaner than she remembered. MaryAnn, the maenad, had trashed her home and Sookie still hadn't found the time or the energy to clean it completely.

Sookie ran up the stairs to her front door, remembering that she hadn't locked it when she left to go to the cemetery. She tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn't turn. She pushed the door, and jiggled the knob, but it still wouldn't give. Sookie began to panic, and wondered if the faeries had used some kind of magic to lock her out of her home. She stepped away from the door and looked around her front yard frantically searching for potential threats. When she saw no one, she walked down to the shrubs in front of her porch to find the spare key. Sookie looked under the rocks in the mulch and found her hidden key, but she then sensed someone come up behind her. She spun around quickly and saw that her ex-boyfriend, Bill Compton, was walking cautiously up to her. He was only 5 feet away from her.

"Sookie?" Bill asked. His eyes showed surprise and wonder, as did his voice. Sookie's brows furrowed in confusion at his tone, but her face quickly became stoic. She refused to show him her heartache anymore. Her feelings shouldn't be wasted on him anymore, anyways.

"Bill, I told you to stay away," she told him hotly.

"Where have you been?" he asked, ignoring her previous statement. He began walking towards her again; eyes still filled with wonder and curiosity, and held out his hand to her, hoping to touch her.

Sookie walked backwards from him, her face showing only disgust, and turned to walk up her porch steps to her front door. Bill grabbed her arm then and turned her around to face him. He looked at her and desperation and longing filled his eyes. "Do you know how worried I've been? Where were you? I couldn't feel you through our bond. I-".

Sookie attempted to jerk her arm from his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. She felt her hands tingle and warm as her anger grew. "Where I've been is none of your concern Bill Compton. Now get your hand off me! You have no right to touch me!"

"Sookie please, I beg you, forgive me. I know that the demise of our relationship ended only a few months ago, but I still love you and I think it is time that we-".

"Wait, what?" Sookie no longer cared about Bill holding onto her, now she only cared about what he had just said, "What do you mean we broke-up a _few months ago_?"

Bill looked taken aback by her question; "You've been gone for over two months now. I haven't seen you since you rescinded my invitation from your home… Sookie, where have you been?" He stared deeply into her eyes, as if the answer laid in them and as if he were still entitled to know.

Sookie took his distraction to her advantage and jerked her arm from his grasp and quickly walked up the last two steps she had to take to get on her porch. "I told you Bill, that is _none_ of your business."

"Sookie-".

"You heard her, Bill, that's none of your business."

Bill and Sookie looked over his shoulder to see the Sheriff of Area Five, Eric Northman, standing only a few feet away from them. His wore dark denim jeans, a black t-shirt, leather boots and a leather jacket. His face showed no emotion, and his eyes were only on Sookie. His eyes slowly traveled down her form, going from her eyes to her tanned legs, and back up again. He couldn't believe that she was now truly standing before him. He saw Sookie shiver, but wasn't sure if it was because of him, the situation she was currently in, or the cool fall night air. He noticed that she was wearing a sundress; the same dress she wore the last time he saw her. _Interesting._

"You're not wanted here, _Eric_," Bill said hotly, and turned his back on his Sheriff to gaze at Sookie once again.

"It doesn't seem like you are welcomed here, either," Eric retorted, and gracefully walked towards the two. He came to stand in front of the first porch step and looked up at Sookie. "It has been too long Miss. Stackhouse".

"Not long enough", she spat, and walked towards her door.

"Sookie, we are not finished here", Bill said and walked up to her. Sookie spun around and glared at Bill. "No, Bill. We are. We are finished. I want _nothing_ to do with you. You are a liar and a manipulator and you do not deserve to know _anything_ about my life. You used me for your queen and your own personal gain, and I will never trust you again. I want you off of my property and out of my life. _For good_".

Bill took a step back from her, stung by her harsh words. He had been hoping that she would want to at least speak to him now that so much time had gone by; but time had only gone by for him. He nodded solemnly, cast his eyes downward, and walked off Sookie's porch. He had taken a few steps toward his home across the cemetery before he turned around and said softly, "Please know that if you need anything, I will be here for you. You can count on that."

Sookie shrugged and looked at him indifferently, "No, Bill. I can't do that. And I won't."

Bill's eyes looking down at his shoes once again, walked away from Sookie, secretly hoping that their separation would not be for long.

Sookie watched Bill retreat into the woods, and once he was out of sight, she turned her attention back to the other vampire who was standing in front of her home. She wanted to hate him, she really did, but she couldn't. She had never been able to. She felt a pull towards him and an attraction that was there even before he tricked her into drinking his blood. She stared into his ice blue eyes not knowing what to say. She didn't want to fight. She was tired. Drained. She wanted to go to bed, but most of all she wanted to be held. She wanted to feel loved again. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

As if reading her mind, Eric smirked at her and asked, "So, are you going to invite me in?"


	3. Unwanted Visitor

**Chapter 3: Unwanted Visitor**

Sookie stared at Eric for a moment, not quite sure how to answer because she was not quite sure what she wanted. Her hesitation scared her. '_Why would I even consider inviting him in?'_ she wondered. '_I normally wouldn't…'_

Sookie straightened her back and glared at Eric, irritated by his question and even more irritated with him for making her question herself. "No, I would sooner invite the devil himself into my home. Of course, inviting you in wouldn't be too different from inviting him," she retorted, "How did you even know I was back here?"

Sookie saw Eric's smirk fall and could have sworn that she saw disappointment flash through his eyes, but in the blackness of the night, it was hard to tell. Eric's expression only changed for a moment, his mischievous smirk back in an instant, "I'll answer your question if you answer mine... Where did you run off to?"

"That's none of your business, either," she replied hotly and turned around to unlock her front door. She felt a rush of air behind her and turned around to see Eric's face inches away from hers. She held back a scream and stared up at Eric, trying not to show her fear. Normally, she would not fear him, but ever since she found out that she was basically vampire crack, she was afraid of letting any vampire get too close. Physically or emotionally.

Eric leaned away from her when he saw the fear in her eyes. He didn't want to frighten her. He wanted to do the opposite of that. He would never say it aloud, but he missed her. He missed her warmth. Her smile. Her smell. He even missed her silly country accent. He couldn't get her out of his mind, even in sleep, for he dreamt of her everyday. Tasting her exquisite blood only made him more attached to her. He wanted her even more than before. He wanted her body, and her power, but he was willing to admit only to himself that he also just wanted her for her. He wanted her to care for him the way that he had begun to care for her. It was his mission now to make her, his.

He looked down at her and stroked her cheek as a way of reassuring her that he meant no harm. She turned her head slightly to his touch, and he smiled at her response to him. _She'll be mine soon_, he thought arrogantly. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Sookie smacked his hand away from her and glared at him. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"A number of things, but for now, I would like only to talk with you," he told her honestly. There were many things that needed to be discussed between them. The most important subject to be addressed was about her safety. Much had changed while she was gone and she needed to be protected even more now than before.

"Do you not remember a little conversation we had not too long ago about how I never wanted to see you again?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, but things have changed while you have been gone and you need to be informed of it and protected," Eric replied, trying to maintain his patience. She could be so stubborn sometimes.

"Well, it'll just have to wait 'till a different evening, Eric. I am tired and I got a lot on my mind right now," Sookie replied righteously, and turned around to go back into her home. Eric quickly spun her around and pinned her against her door. He brought his face down to hers, their noses barely touching. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, until Eric broke contact. He closed his eyes and dragged his nose across her cheek and down her neck, inhaling her scent. She smelled different to him. Sweeter, and he couldn't understand why. "Where have you been, lover?" he whispered softly into her ear. He had an idea, but he needed her to confirm his suspicions.

Sookie tried to ignore the warm sensations that spread through her body in response to his contact and to his new nickname for her. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to yell at him for calling her such an inappropriate name and for invading her personal space, but she couldn't. She liked it too much. Sookie closed her eyes and just let herself go for a moment. She wondered if she should let him into her home, her bed. Her body was telling her to allow him in, but her mind was screaming at her not to. Vampires were too risky to be around now that they knew what she was. Thinking of her fae heritage led her to think about her deceitful ex-boyfriend. Someone might as well of splashed a bucket of ice cold water on her at that moment. Sookie's eyes snapped open and she pushed Eric away with all of her strength; which was, in comparison, not very much. "None of your business. Now I want you off of my property and out of my life!"

Eric let her un-lock and open her front door and walk in. Once she was over the threshold, he said to her, "You can run now, Miss. Stackhouse, but soon we will discuss a few things; including where you ran off to."

"I will not be discussing anything with you, Eric. Good night!" Sookie slammed the door and locked it as quickly as she could, calming herself down by telling herself that his invitation was still rescinded and he could not enter. Sookie leaned her body against the door and covered her face with her hands. She was so drained. She slowly turned around and walked slowly up her stairs, not paying attention to her surroundings.

Sookie walked into her bedroom and saw that it was no longer trashed from her fight with Debbie Pelt. The broken glass and furniture was cleaned up, and she had a newer, nicer vanity and a brand new rug on her floor. She wondered who bought everything and set it up, until she realized it was either Jason or Tara since they were the only other people with a key to her home. Guilt struck Sookie when she realized how worried they must be for her. According to Bill, she hadn't been home in months with no trace of where she could have been. Sookie could have slapped herself for how reckless her decision on leaving for Fae was.

Sookie sighed and told herself she would worry about getting back in touch with her friends and family in the morning. '_I wonder if Sam will let me have my job back?_'

She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pink tank top, pink and black stripped pajama bottoms, and underwear and went into her bathroom to take a long, hot shower. She stood under the spray and tried to relax, but her mind kept turning over the day's events. For her, she had spent that morning saving Eric's (and, unfortunately, Russell's) life from the sun, spent the evening finding out about Bill's betrayal, and spent the night learning about her Fae heritage and her relatives.

Sookie leaned her head against the cool tile of her shower and closed her eyes, thinking back on her time in Fae. When she first arrived there, she felt at peace for the first time in months. Light surrounded her, and love. She felt welcomed, but she knew something was missing. She was missing the people she loved most. She left Jason, Tara, and Sam behind so she could go be with strangers and she had never felt guiltier about anything before in her life. When she told Claudine that she had to leave, a chill swept through the beautiful field she and the other fairies stood in, and darkness blocked away the light.

"_You can't leave here," Claudine told her, her voice soft and full of regret. "I am so sorry, dear cousin. But I was ordered to bring you here."_

"_Why does everyone want to obtain me? I'm not an object someone can just toss around or take when they want! And what the hell do you mean by cousin?" Sookie exclaimed. She was scared now. Her warm feelings of happiness and love were gone and were replaced by anger and fear. _

"_The Queen regent wants you. I had to obey her. One day you will understand. You are the one who can help us."_

"_Help you with what?" Sookie asked, more curious now than scared. _

"_Our Grandfather, he-"_

"_So this is the insolent hybrid who brought death to our land." The voice came from behind Sookie, and Sookie felt colder. A tall, gangly woman stood proud a few feet behind her. The woman must have been six feet tall. Her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun and a crown was placed on top of her head. She wore a golden gown that flowed down to the ground, with a train nearly eight feet long. The wind had picked up, and dark energy radiated from her being. Sookie concentrated and tried to read her mind, but she couldn't. The woman was too powerful. _

"_Excuse me?" Sookie replied. She was going to assume that this was the Queen judging by the way most of the other faeries bowed down to her as she walked by. The Queen slowly made her way towards Sookie with a cold look of hate on her face that Sookie had directed towards her lately one too many times by one too many people… _

Sookie's thoughts were broken when she felt that the water spraying down on her turned colder. She shut the water off and let out a deep breath, trying to relax herself. She walked out of her shower, dried herself off with her towel and dressed into her pajamas. After she brushed her teeth and hair, she stared at herself in her bathroom mirror and wondered what had happened to the sweet, innocent girl who used to look back at her.

Shaking her head, trying to clear her negative thoughts, Sookie walked out of her bathroom and turned off the light. With her head down, lost in thoughts, she walked back into her room and looked up at her bed, longing for a decent night's sleep. Instead, she looked up and saw Eric Northman lying there, and all thoughts of a decent nights sleep drifted from her head.

"Is this another dream?" She asked hesitantly. She thought that their bond would have dissolved by now, along with the dreams.

"No, it's not another dream," he replied.


	4. Changes

**Chapter Four: Changes **

Sookie stared at Eric for a long time trying to figure out if he was telling her the truth. It wasn't a dream? It had to be a dream… she had rescinded his invitation. How could he be here? Sookie closed her eyes and counted to ten. When she opened them, Eric was still lying on her bed, smirking. "Eric… how… I…" Sookie was at a loss for words. This had to be a dream. There was no other way to explain his appearance.

"You're probably standing there wondering how I was able to walk into your house… well the answer to that is, I was invited in," Eric told her. He seemed so very sure of himself.

"H-How?" Sookie asked, her eyes wide, her mouth open in shock. He somehow managed to get the upper hand, yet again. Eric, quickly and gracefully, stood up from her bed and walked toward her. "Well, it all started when I realized that I no longer felt you through our bond. It was the same night Russell was killed and you ended your relationship with Bill. I would have gone after you, but dawn was nearing and I knew I wouldn't have made it there in time. I went by the following night to look for you and to figure out how you managed to block our bond. Instead of finding you, I found your brother. He was inside looking for you, and he invited me in to help."

"Did he _invite_ you in, or did you _glamour_ him into lettin' you?" Sookie asked in a monotone voice. She was physically tired, but too curious and mentally wired to go to bed now.

"That's not the point," Eric told her calmly before he went on with his story, "We could not find you in the house or surrounding area, so we both decided to wait for you. In order to pass the time, we cleaned your house. It was still disgusting for the maenad-"

"_You_ cleaned _my_ house? Why in the hell would you do that?" Sookie asked. She felt utter disbelief that Eric Northman, the Viking vampire, cleaned her house.

"Because I wanted to… apologize, I suppose. I knew that I was the reason for some of your pain, and I wanted to make amends," Eric answered honestly. He also wanted her to live in a decent looking home too, even though if everything went according to his plan, she wouldn't be living there much longer; she would be living with him instead.

Sookie shook her head in disbelief, "I can't believe you did that, Eric… Thank you, but you didn't have to."

Eric smiled at her reassuringly, "It was my pleasure, lover. Now, we must discuss what has happened these last few months. It is very important."

Sookie sighed and walked over to her bed. She sat down and stared down at her new rug, wondering if Eric was the one who bought it for her or if her brother did. She didn't care enough at the moment to ask. "Okay, Eric. Spit it out, and then leave. I'm tired."

Eric nodded, ignoring her "order" to him, and pulled up a chair that sat in the corner of her room closer to where she was sitting on her bed. "Before you left, Sophie-Ann believed the Bill was going to hand you over to her and that she would finally possess a fairy. She gloated about this to many vampires in New Orleans at a party she went to and word spread. Now that she does not have you, you are up for grabs. Many vampires are seeking you out for their own personal benefit, and have been for months. Weres who were loyal to Russell are after you as well. You are a valuable asset to have, and vampires want not only your blood, but the use of your power, as well."

Sookie closed her eyes and sighed. She should have known life was not going to get any easier any time soon. "So what are you suggesting I do?"

"Become mine," Eric told her, as if it were the simplest solution in the world.

Sookie's eyes snapped open and she stared at Eric, trying to see if he was merely making a joke. She should have known that this conversation was going to lead to this. "No."

Eric tried to control his anger over her stubbornness and her rejection. She could really get under his skin. "Sookie, be rational. I am the only vampire you can trust, and I am willing to protect you. If you are smart, you will accept my offer, for if you are not _mine_, then soon, you shall no longer _be_."

"I can't trust you! You were going to just hand me over to Russell! You let him feed off me and for that, I-"

Her sentence was cut short due to Eric jumping up, knocking her chair back, and putting his face in front of hers. His fangs down, his eyes clouded with anger. "I am _sick_ of hearing you say that. I am a thousand year old vampire, and I would not lie to a human in order to hurt or not hurt their _feelings_. I told you the truth about Russell; I would not have given him to you. That whole show was to save you. I was risking my life for yours!" Eric stood up quickly so he would not snap, literally, at her again. He needed to calm down. He took a few steps back in order to put distance between the two of them. Instead, Sookie just stood up and moved forwards. Their chests were almost touching.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? First, you tell me you have feelings for me, then you don't help me at Russell's mansion, then you kiss me, only to turn around, throw me in a dungeon and let Russell feed off me! Don't you see how I am a little confused on whether or not I should trust you?"

Eric stared down at her and realized that she was right. He might have saved her, but he had played with her mind during that entire time. He sighed and retracted his fangs. "I can understand where you are coming from. But understand what I am saying: you can trust me, and I am only looking out for your best interest. Believe me, I have wanted you to be mine since the moment you walked into Fangtasia wearing that white dress, but I did not want it to happen this way." That was only half the truth. He wanted her in every way, any way; he only wished that it were her coming to him.

"Why do you want to help me?" She asked.

"Because I find myself strangely and irrationally attached to you, and I would suffer greatly if you were hurt or killed," he answered honestly.

Sookie nodded, not understanding why she believed him, but decided to reflect on it in the morning. She couldn't believe the next words that came out of her mouth actually came out of her mouth. "I will consider your offer."

Eric nodded his head slightly and accepted what she said. It wasn't "Yes", but it wasn't "No", either. "You have until tomorrow night to decide. Now that Bill has seen you home, he will most likely feel inclined to tell Sophie-Ann and word of your return will spread. You need protection immediately."

Sookie nodded, understanding, but not truly wanting to accept that this was her only option. She sat back down and looked at her new rug again, trying to keep her tears at bay, but failed. Eric saw her tears fall, and bent down to his knees so he could be at eye level with her. He gently wiped away her tears and stroked her cheek. His still heart ached at the sight of her tears, and it hurt even more that he was the cause. "It won't be so bad being mine. You will never want for anything. You can always trust me, and I will take care of you. No one will harm you, I swear… Please, lover, don't cry anymore."

Sookie sniffed and shook her head, "I'm not crying about you, or becoming "yours"… I'm crying because of my life in general. I have so many people after me. Weres, vampires, faeries… I can't even live peacefully in my own home because they come after me! When will I ever be able to just live again?"

"When you come to my side and accept my protection. I am very old and powerful. And the ancient laws protect a vampires human from others," Eric told her. She nodded and mumbled, "I'll think about it." He sighed and stroked her hair. He loved touching her like this. He loved stroking her cheek, her hair, and brushing his fingers across her hand. These light touches brought him great pleasure. He couldn't even fathom what it will be like for him when they became lovers.

Setting sexual thoughts aside and going back to what Sookie had said before, he quietly asked her, "Why would the faeries be after you?" Sookie looked up at him and was quiet for a moment, as if trying to decide if she should really tell him. Eric sat perfectly still while she made her assessment, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. It must have worked, for Sookie sighed and opened up to him. "Faeries came for me that night and offered to take me away with them to their homeland. I accepted, but I realized after I arrived that I didn't want to be there. They tried to keep me there, but I managed to escape."

Sookie decided to not tell him anymore than that. She was still not sure if she should trust him completely, and decided to be more open later once he proved that he could be trusted.

Eric simply nodded after she told her brief story and said, "I will not let anyone take you away if you do not wish to be taken." _And even then I will make you stay_, he added in his head silently. He didn't know why he was so attached to this fae-human, but it went much deeper than the taste of her blood. He wanted to keep her by his side. He decided he would reflect on why that was later on.

Sookie smiled softly to him in thanks, and then yawned. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and it read 3:00 AM. "You should go to sleep," Eric told her softly. He stood up and pulled back the covers on her bed. Sookie slid under the covers and let Eric tuck her in and kiss her on the forehead.

"Good night, Sookie Stackhouse. I will see you tomorrow," Eric told her softly.

"You might not… I haven't decided if I will accept your offer," she retorted sleepily. Her eyes were closed and she was nearly asleep, but she heard Eric laugh softly, open her bedroom window, and fly off into the night. The last thing she remembered thinking was how her feelings for Eric drastically changed throughout the night; she started off her night yelling at Eric and telling him to leave, and then missing him when he finally left.

**Hope you enjoyed it! I am not sure if I am going to add the witches, or have Eric lose his memory… While I love the forth book/ Eric w/ amnesia, I am not sure it will fit into the story. Hope you all don't mind. Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!**


	5. Getting It Together

**Chapter 5- Getting it Together**

Sookie woke up slowly, not even bothering to open her eyes yet. Though she was awake, she laid there in her bed with her eyes closed, thinking about all of the important things she had to do that day, but finding that she had no motivation to actually get up. She groaned loudly and stretched out her arms and legs and rolled her head over to her nightstand to look at the time. _10:30_. She had only gotten five and a half hours of sleep. For a moment, she considered just going back to bed for another hour or two, but decided that she needed to go into town and explain her disappearance to her friends. The sooner she did that, the better. Sookie knew that she couldn't hide from her world any longer.

Sookie slowly got out of bed and made her way over to her closet and pulled out jeans and a blue, v-neck t-shirt. She felt that the weather was colder last night and knew that her shorts and summer dresses were to sadly be retired until the following year. After brushing her teeth and hair and putting on a bit of make-up, it was close to eleven o'clock, and she was starving.

Sookie walked down the stairs and as she looked around, she began to notice the changes in her home that she was too busy to notice last night. Her hard wood floors looked shinier and newer. The rugs in her living room had been cleaned, and the old, faded wallpaper in her living room had been taken down and the walls were painted a pale yellow. Sookie wondered why Eric took it upon himself to change so much of her home. She knew that all of that needed to be done, but didn't understand why Eric would care so much as to do it himself.

She shrugged and decided to not worry about it. She was going to be grateful and thank him in person for taking care of her home. She walked into her kitchen and opened her refrigerator, excited for food, but found it empty. She sighed sadly when she remembered once more how much time had gone by and how the food that had once been there had since rotted away.

Sookie made a mental note to herself to go to the grocery store while she was in town and pick up some food.

She decided to kill two birds with one stone that day and eat at Merlotte's while meeting with Sam to tell him where she had been all that time. She knew she couldn't tell her friends _exactly _where she had been, but decided to give most of the true story to Sam since he was a Supe himself.

Sookie sighed again when she realized what a long and emotional day was in store for her. She grabbed her keys and her purse and left her house. Slowly, she walked over to her old yellow car and glanced up at her house. Her head shot back up to look at her house again and she stared, mouth gaped open, eyes wide with wonder. Her house had been completely re-done. It was painted yellow and her porch was painted white. The porch steps had been fixed as well and a new porch swing was hung. Sookie felt her eyes water as she looked at her home. She had never seen it look so nice in all the years she had lived there. She grew up with little money, and her Gran always had a list of things that needed to be done to the house, but never the money to actually do it.

If only her Gran could see it now.

Sookie wiped the tears that fell down her cheeks and smiled. She told herself that she should be irritated for Eric taking it upon himself to re-paint her home, but instead, her heart fluttered thinking about how Eric had done this for her and she forgot all of the reasons why she had "hated" him to begin with. _Perhaps he isn't so bad after all…_

Sookie drove to Merlotte's with a small smile on her lips. She couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful her house looked and how grateful she was the Eric did that for her. Thinking of Eric then brought on memories of the night before and his offer to help her. She wondered if she should take him up on his offer, now seeing that he truly did care for her well-being.

Sookie pulled into Merlotte's and parked her car behind the bar in the employee parking section near Sam's trailer. She got out of her car and looked up at the small bar, bracing herself for the emotional roller coaster she was about to board. She slowly walked through the parking lot and opened the employee door and made her way down the small hallway where Sam's office was. The door was closed, so she knocked softly and waited for Sam to give permission to enter. She heard him talking loudly on the phone and yell, "Come in!" before she opened the door and saw that his back was facing her. He was hunched down and his body seemed tense. He was angry at something, or someone. Guilt once again struck Sookie when she thought that something might be wrong with her friend and boss and she hadn't been there to help. She felt tears form in her eyes for the second time that day when Sam turned around and looked at her, shock clearly evident on his face.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," he said softly into the phone and hung up, not waiting for a response. He stared at Sookie for a while, taking in her every feature, before he took a few steps toward her. "Holy shit," he breathed out as he continued to openly stare.

"Hi, Sam," Sookie said shyly, feeling self-conscious under his gaze. Without looking she shut his office door and leaned up against it, feeling as though she needed its support.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sam exclaimed, and stalked towards her. Before she could answer, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a bear hug, inhaling her scent while doing so.

"C-Can't breathe!" Sookie rasped out, and Sam let go of her immediately. He smiled shyly at her and sighed, "Sorry."

Sookie smiled back and shook her head. "How have you been, Sam?"

Sam's smile fell. He shrugged and looked down, "I've been better… Where the hell have you been, Sook? I was so worried. I thought Bill might have-"

"Bill didn't have anything to do with my disappearing," Sookie interrupted, "I… Sam, there's something you should know…"

Concern etched itself across Sam's face and he took hold of her hands, "You can tell me anything, Sook. I'm always here for you."

"This is a huge secret… and I am only telling you 'cause I know you'll understand. Being a supe and all…"

Sam's eyes widened and he nodded, silently telling her to continue. Sookie inhaled and exhaled deeply, and said quickly, "I'm a fairy." She stood still and stared up at Sam, waiting for his reaction.

Sam's eyes widened even more and he exclaimed, "Holy shit!"

Sookie shushed him and listened to hear if anyone heard and was coming towards his office. "Keep it down! I don't want anyone to hear us!"

Sam nodded and exhaled, trying to calm himself down. "You're right, I'm sorry. I-I just can't believe it! I always knew that there was something different about you… A fucking fairy, though? Hell, I thought they really were apart of myths and kids stories. But I've occasionally heard about a sighting… When did you find out? How?"

"Bill told me," Sookie told him. She couldn't hold back tears as she told him of Bill's betrayal and how he found out about her lineage. Sam patted her back and pulled her into another hug while she cried softly. "Oh, cher. He never did deserve you. I'm so sorry this happened. I promise to do whatever I can to protect you."

Sookie nodded against his chest and whispered, "Thank you."

Sam smiled and was about to say something, when Tara walked in to his office. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene in front of her. Her face showed happiness, then bitter anger, "Where the hell have you been? Sook, do you have any idea of worried I have been about you? Do you have any idea how much I have needed you? Why did you leave? Did that vampire do something to you, cause I swear, if he did, I'll-"

"Tara! Shhh," Sookie told her as she grabbed her and hugged her. "I'm okay. I'm sorry I left, but I just… I just needed some time away. I'm sorry. But I am here now and I don't plan on leaving any time soon."

Sookie and Tara broke their embrace and Tara wiped away her tears and nodded. "I believe you. Just… don't ever scare me like that again. First you, then Jason… I thought somethin' real bad was happenin, and-"

"What do you mean, 'Then Jason'?" Sookie interrupted. Fear clenched around her heart.

Tara blinked in surprise and looked to Sam, then back to Sookie. "You mean… I… you don't know?"

Sookie shook her head and looked impatiently at Tara. "What happened to Jason? Tell me!"

Tara swallowed hard and looked to the ground. Sookie knew that was what she always did when she was nervous. "Sook, I'm sorry, but, Jason has been missing for six weeks now. There were cops looking around at his house for a while, and they found blood. His blood, and animal blood, but they have no idea where he is. They have people searching for him now."

Sookie gasped and tears rushed to her eyes. Her brother was gone. He was the only family she had left, and he was gone. Tears rushed down Sookie's face as Tara and Sam hugged her. "Andy Bellfleur is eating lunch right now. Wanna go talk to him?" Tara asked softly. Sookie nodded and the three of them left Sam's office to talk to Andy.

Sookie sat at the table numbly while Andy went on about the case on Jason and all of the leads he had; which was nothing. Sookie heard from his mind that he had no hope on ever finding Jason alive. She also heard that Andy judged her for leaving town, not keeping up with the only family she had left, and for dating a vampire. He had seen her house too, and wondered how she afforded all the work that was done to it.

Sookie put her shields up and ignored everyone's thoughts, and words, and thought about her brother. She wondered if Eric could help her. Perhaps he could "sniff" Jason out? Sam might try too, but Sookie figured he had already tried while she had been away. Perhaps Alcide Hervaux would be of some help as well.

Sookie hugged Sam and Tara good-bye at Merlotte's and told Sam she was ready to work in a few days. He informed her that Holly and Arlene had the full-time shifts now, so she would work part-time. That was fine with Sookie. She needed as much time as possible to search for her brother.

Sookie went through the grocery store in a daze. She thought about Jason, and about Eric's proposal. While being Eric's was the last thing she ever wanted, she had to admit that he had a point about her needed to belong to someone. Vampires, Werewolves, and now Fairies were after her, and they might have taken her brother as well. She was in constant danger, and therefore needed constant protection.

Sookie went home and unloaded all of her groceries. By that time it was near two, and she knew that she would be going to Fangtasia that night, but was trying to think of a deal that would benefit both she and Eric.

To pass the time, Sookie cleaned. She cleaned every room in the house thoroughly. Once she was finished she made herself a sandwich and saw that it was close to five o'clock. She finished eating, washed her dishes, and headed upstairs to shower and get ready to go to Fangtasia.

She took her time putting on her make-up and curling her hair. She decided to wear a blood red evening gown with black accessories. The first time she had gone to Fangtasia, she wore white, which symbolized her innocence then. Now she wore red. She wore red for her loss of innocence, for the blood she had shed, and for the anger and passion she felt.

She climbed into her car and headed towards Shreveport with a plan in mind.


	6. Let's Make A Deal

**Chapter Six- Let's Made A Deal**

Eric sat on his throne and looked out over the crowd. Almost every vampire from his Area was there. It was "Vampire Night", and the fangbangers were even more excited than they normally were. The energy was intense and nearly everyone was on the dance floor. The music blared and the drinks kept pouring. Eric smirked as he watched the vermin attempt to seduce different vampires in the bar. Some were harshly rejected, others left with vampires, but not before they had permission from Eric to leave.

It's good to be the Sheriff.

Eric leaned back and began thinking of Sookie. He felt her through their bond, but their connection was growing weaker. He needed to put more of his blood in her, but he knew that would take a lot of convincing. He wouldn't be able to trick her like how he did before.

Eric thought of Dallas with a small smile. He will never forget the satisfaction and happiness he felt after he was able to get his blood inside her. He immediately felt her emotions. She felt scared, anxious, but also pride. He assumed she felt proud of herself for helping him even though she "despised" him so much. He knew now that she didn't actually despise him, much to his relief. She felt had an attraction towards him, but he frightened her. He was hoping to remedy the latter.

He felt her pull into the parking lot. It seemed he sensed her better when they were closer. He waited patiently as she walked toward the door, pass Pam, and into his bar. He watched as she took in her surroundings and felt her nervousness. He noticed that she would flinch when she made physical contact with people as she walked by them. He assumed that she had read their thoughts accidentally given her reaction and the disgust coming through the bond.

She made eye contact with him, and held it as she walked toward him. She looked divine in red. Her blond hair was curled softly, and her eyes had dark make-up on them, which made those dark pools of brown look even more mysterious. Eric unconsciously licked his lips and sat up straighter on his throne.

Sookie stopped in front of him and looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to make the first move. She was nervous and wasn't sure how well she would handle herself tonight. As she was walking closer, she felt waves of lust and desire flowing through her, and she wasn't sure how she was going to stay in charge of the conversation that was going to take place.

Eric stepped down off his throne and loomed over Sookie, who tilted her head back even more to keep eye contact with him. He smiled and held out his hand to her, which she reluctantly took, and walked her towards his office. He kept a grip on her hand, loving the feel of it.

He opened his office door and allowed her to enter first. He closed the door and watched as she sat down in a chair in front of his desk and sat with her back straight and hands folded in her lap. The base from the music that was playing outside was almost as loud as her heartbeat. He walked over to his desk and sat down while he smirked again and said smugly, "Well, this is a pleasant surprised. Though, I must admit, I am not surprised you are here."

Sookie tensed slightly and said primly, "Well, I'm not stupid. I know that I really do need your help… which is why I've come to make a deal with you."

"I already gave you a deal. Now, all you have to do is agree to it."

"There are some changes to that deal that I would like to make."

Eric sat forward in his seat and folded his hands, laying his forearms on his desk. His smirk was gone and his face was now a cold, with a calculating stare, "I do not negotiate, Miss. Stackhouse."

"Well I do. Now, are you going to listen to what I have to say, or not?"

Eric stared at her for a moment, and Sookie was afraid that he was going to say 'no' until he nodded and waved a hand signaling her to continue. Sookie took a deep breath and let it out, calming herself. "Okay, I will agree to allow you to use my powers of telepathy whenever you want in exchange for your protection and help to find my brother. He's been missing for weeks and needs to be found."

Eric showed no reaction to the news that her brother was missing, and Sookie fleetingly wondered if he had taken him. "We already have a deal similar to that. You read the minds of humans for me, and I will not harm them. Remember? We made that deal on the night of the Longshadow incident…"

It took much self-control for Sookie to not pout. She had forgotten that until he mentioned it again. She needed to think quickly before she was locked into something without getting something more out of it.

"Tell you what," Eric said; leaning back in his chair again while watching her, "I will help you find your brother, if you agree to be mine in every way. That means, you will not have sex with any one but me, go out with no other man but me, and touch no other man but me. Do we have a deal?"

Sookie sat quietly and thought it over. She was hoping to somehow get out of being "his" but also getting his protection. Exchanging services of telepathy for protection was her plan, but she should of known he would push for more. She needed protection, and she needed to find her brother. Her confidence was fading fast and she felt vulnerable and at the mercy to the beautiful vampire Viking. She was trying to think of a way to put the ball back in her court before she agreed to something she might soon regret. She didn't know Eric. And while he was attractive and occasionally showed he cared, she had seen his bad side too many times. Was this going to be another Bill fiasco?

Sookie, thinking quickly, replied, "I will if you will. No more fangbangers. If I'm gonna be monogamous, then so are you." She smiled smugly, thinking that she had won. She didn't think he would ever agree to that.

"Deal," he said. No change of expression, no inflection in his voice. He acted as if it were the simplest thing to do.

"You-You _do_ realize that I have no plans to sleep with you. As long as I am yours, you aren't going to be having sex with anyone… that's what you just agreed to. Do you _really_ want to do that?"

It was Eric's turn to smile smugly. He looked her up and down, met her eyes again and told her, "I think you will yield to me very soon, lover."

Sookie blushed at his prediction and nickname for her, and broke eye contact, looking down at her hands. She wondered if she had done the right thing. She had a sinking feeling that she had made a deal with the devil.

"Now, let's discuss your living arrangements," Eric told her, "I had a day chamber installed in your house. Some nights we will stay there, while other nights we will be at my home. I would prefer it if we were always at my home, but I know you have a sentimental attachment to your home so I will allow us to live in both. Is this alright with you?"

"When did you have a day chamber installed? And where is it?" Sookie asked feeling irritated. _How dare he do such a thing without my permission! _

"When you were away, of course. I was planning on you becoming mine, and I had it installed knowing you would want to continue living there. It's under your living room floor. The opening is in a new chest in your living room. I'm surprised you didn't notice it today. Now, about your job; you are going to quit," Eric told her simply.

"What?" Sookie yelled, standing up in shock. She could only let him order her around to a point. She liked her job, she worked with friends, and she needed the money; and she told Eric so.

"I understand," he said in a bored tone, "Actually, I lied, I don't completely understand. That place is a shit hole and it seems as though every redneck in Louisiana goes there. It is not a respectable place for my bonded to work. Besides, you do not need to work. I already told you that I would be taking care of you."

Sookie's face flushed with anger and she braced her hands against his desk and glared down at him, "I will not be a kept woman. I have already agreed to be yours and live with you! Why do you want to take over my life completely? What's in it for you?"

"You. All I want is you. If it really is so important to you, you may keep your job, but only work part-time and it will be during the day. It will not be safe for you at night with vampires lurking in the dark. I will talk with the shifter about all of this."

"Don't bother. I already work part-time there now and I will talk to Sam myself. He's my boss and my friend and he would rather hear about all of this from me, not you."

Sookie crossed her arms and continued to glare down at Eric, who just smirked at her and shook his head. "It's amazing how I am doing _you_ a favor, and you are getting mad at _me_. I would expect you to be a little more greatful after all that I have done for _you_."

Sookie's featured softened and she felt ashamed. She thought immediately of her Gran, and what she would think of her right now. Not about getting involved in vampire business, but for being so ungrateful to the man who fixed her home, was willing to find her brother, and wanted to protect her. She sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I just don't like it when people make decisions for me."

Eric nodded and said, "I understand."

They sat in silence for a moment. Eric was the one to break it first, "So, now do we have a deal?"

Sookie nodded and said nothing. Eric stood up and walked around his desk to stand in front of her. She looked up at him and looked into his eyes again, fighting the urge to seal their deal with a kiss. She would never understand her feelings for Eric. She'll hate him one moment, and want to kiss him the next.

He held out his hand to her again, and this time she took it without a moment's thought. They walked out of his office and towards the bar; "I am going to announce that you are mine to the humans and vampires here. Word will spread more quickly that way, and no human or vampire would dare threaten you now."

Sookie nodded and felt nervous again at the prospect of standing in front of all of those people while she was "claimed". She was brought out of her thoughts as she walked next to Eric towards his stage. She noticed that everyone was looking at her. She flinched at the thoughts being directed towards her and looked down at the hand that was linked with Eric's. She felt a calm strength wash over her and felt better. She wondered if they were her emotions, or if Eric was giving them to her through their small bond.

Sookie and Eric walked on to the stage and he signaled the DJ to stop the music. The humans and vampires alike stopped dancing and looked up at Eric, wondering what he was about to do. Some people thought that he was going to bite Sookie in front of everyone, others thought that they were going to have sex. Sookie's eyes shifted around the room until they landed on a pair of brown ones that she knew all too well. Bill was standing by the bar, True Blood in hand, frown etched deep into his face. He seemed to be the only one who knew what was about to happen.

Sookie gulped nervously and looked up at Eric as he began to speak, "Ladies and Gentlemen, vampires and humans, I would like you all to be the first to know that I am claiming Sookie Stackhouse of Bon Temps, Louisiana as _mine_. She is my bonded and if any one harms her, touches her, and speaks unkindly to her, they will answer to me."

Sookie glanced back down at the crowd and saw (and heard) everyone's shock. Some humans were angry, other's jealous. The vampires looked bored and unphased except for Bill, Jessica, and Pam. Bill looked crushed, Jessica looked shocked, and Pam looked very pleased. Before Sookie could even fully register everyone's thoughts and reactions, she was picked up and carried off stage by Eric and out the door before she even realized what was happening. Eric, using vampire speed, took them to his red corvette and set her in the passengers seat. He quickly got in on the driver's side, fastened Sookie's seat belt, and started the car, driving off into the night.

"So, lover, whose house will it be tonight? Mine? Or yours?"


	7. How It's Gonna Be

**Hey everyone! I am so so so sorry that I have taken this long to update this story. I really do enjoy writing it! And I love everyone's feedback! I have outlines for the next few chapters, so it should be pretty simple to write it all out. Next week I am going to the beach, so I won't be able to update then, but hopefully next weekend I will have stuff up for you guys. I promise to not go this long again without updating! Please forgive me! *****sniff, sniff*******

**O.o.O.o.O**

**Chapter Seven- How It's Gonna Be**

Eric drove down a dark back road, smiling to himself as he thought about the fact that he finally had Sookie Stackhouse all to himself. His chest puffed out a bit in male pride as he thought about how long she had fought him, and how now she had finally submitted to him.

Well, sorta.

He had yet to really kiss her again. He often thought back on when they kissed for the first time in his office. Her lips were so soft, so sweet… he wanted her, badly. Now, he finally had her. He planned for them to spend as much time as possible together. He planned to seduce the fiery, human-fae. He planned for her to fall for him, and remain his; forever.

But he wasn't going to let her in on his plans.

Eric was a vampire who went after what he wanted. And he didn't stop to rest until it was his. Sookie, while now legally his (in the vampiric world), was not his completely yet. Even if he was completely hers.

But she didn't know that either.

"Where are we going?" Sookie asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"I thought you said you wanted to go to my home?" Eric asked. He glanced away from the winding road briefly to look over at her. _I need to buy her more clothes in red_, he thoughts to himself. She looked stunning in her red dress.

"Yes, but we have been driving for nearly thirty minutes. Are we still in Shreveport?"

"Yes, just on the outskirts of it. We are going to my main house. No one has ever been there except for Pam and my day-man, Bobby. And even Bobby has been glamoured to never reveal the location to anyone, no matter the consequences."

"Hope Bobby doesn't have a lot of family then…" Sookie muttered, and looked back out the window. They fell into an awkward silence until Sookie spoke again a few minutes later. "So, how many houses do you have?"

"Six," Eric answered simply, turning off one winding road, and on to another.

"Six? You say that like it's not a big deal…"

"Well, because it isn't."

"Uh, it's kinda a big deal to own that many houses, Eric," Sookie argued.

"Not when you have lived a thousand years, have the money to buy that many houses, and need to have back-up houses just in case…"

"Just in case of what?"

Eric looked over at her and smiled, "In case of anything. Don't worry, Lover. As of right now, no one is making threats. For now, this will be our home. If something were to happen to threaten my position, I have other homes and apartments around the world that will be not only comfortable to live in, but also safe. No one knows where most of my homes are located."

"Where are your other homes?" Sookie asked. She was not only curious about where these homes were, but where he got the money to buy so many. But she figured that after living for a thousand years, one would acquire quite a bit of money. Hell, vampires could just glamour a banker into giving them every cent in the bank, and live off that quite comfortably.

Eric looked over at Sookie again when she asked that question and wondered if he should tell her about his other homes. He was not one to trust easily. Then again, he needed to learn to trust her if she was going to be with him for as long as he intended her to be. "I have one here, in Shreveport. Another in Dallas-I am actually thinking about selling that one. I have another in Barbados. Two in Sweden. And my last one is in Paris. I plan on showing you all of these homes, Lover. I plan on traveling with you; showing you the world."

She smiled softly at his statement. No one had ever wanted to take her anywhere. Except Bill… but that was to marry her, most likely to have legal power over her. Her smiled turned into a frown at the thought of him. The shift did not go unnoticed by Eric.

"Do you not want to travel, Lover?"

Sookie looked back at him and he glanced over at her. She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she could have sworn that he seemed disappointed, and almost… nervous. "No, I would love to travel. I have always wanted to see Europe, but I never had the money to go."

"Then why are you frowning?" Eric asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Sookie shrugged, "I don't know… I mean… Well, I was thinking about how sweet it was of you to want to take me places and do things for me. No one except my Gran has ever done that for me. Not even Bill. He wanted to go away to Vermont, but that was only to marry me. Now I don't even know if that was even what he really wanted, or if he just wanted to trap me."

"So, you are not frowning because of me, but because of Bill?"

"Right."

"Excellent. Not that I want you to frown, Lover. I would just rather not be the reason you are frowning. We're at my home now…"

Sookie looked up at Eric and smiled softly. She liked that he wanted to know how she was feeling. She liked that he cared. She just wasn't sure why.

She decided not to think about it now and to focus on why they were there. She was going to see his house. Their house. This was her home now, too. She looked out of her window, taking in all that she could. Trees surrounded them, but Sookie could faintly see other homes a few miles south. Eric turned into the driveway and they approached a gate. Eric pressed a button in his corvette, and the gates opened. He drove slowly up a curved driveway and Sookie was able to faintly see the house thanks to the cars headlights.

It looked like a typical modern family home. It was beautiful. It reminded Sookie of the type of home she used to look at in magazines, wishing that one day she would live there with her husband and kids… And while Eric wasn't even close to being her husband, and could never give her children, she was still happy that she would be able to live in a beautiful home like this, even if it would be for a brief moment in time.

Eric smiled at Sookie's awestruck expression, pleased that she liked his house, and climbed out of his car. He sped around to her side, opened the door for her, and offered his hand to help her out. It surprised him when she accepted his hand, and he felt electricity shoot through him. Her touch warmed his hand, his body, and his soul, and it took so much for him to not gather her into his arms, take her inside, and lock her in his room with him for at least a week.

She must have felt the shock as well, because when she stood up and looked up at him, he saw a delicious blush flow across her cheeks and watched in fascination as it traveled down her neck to her breast. He wanted so badly to see where exactly it ended.

Sookie cleared her throat, and looked down toward her feet, wanting to break the connection. She glanced back up to Eric and saw him smiling down at her. She hated and loved the smile he had on his face. It was his arrogant, cocky, 'I'm-so-fucking-hot-and-you-know-it' smile. It was so damn sexy, and so damn annoying.

He winked at her and closed the car door. Still holding her hand, he walked her up the front sidewalk to the front door. The front door turned out to be double doors, made out of thick, oak wood and had glass on it, but you could barely see inside thanks to the design on the glass. Now that Sookie was closer, she could see that the house was almost stucco style, and the front lawn was very green and cut perfectly. Not a weed in sight. That didn't surprise her; she expected no less from Eric. He seemed like the type of person who wanted everything neat and perfect. She called someone who was like that a "neat-freak". But if Eric really was a neat freak, then that was fine with her, since she was a bit of a neat freak herself.

Eric unlocked and opened the door, allowing for her to step in first. The house was dark, but she could faintly see the outlining of furniture in the foyer and in a room next to her. Eric stepped in behind her, and flipped a few light switches that were on the wall near the front door. Sookie looked around in awe at the beautiful home. She could only see the foyer and a formal dining room, but she could already tell that Eric took great pride in his home. The walls were painted a tan color, with browns, reds, and a bit of black decorations making a splash in the dinning room. The table, like the front doors, was made of high quality oak, and had eight chairs to match.

Sookie, not even bothering asking Eric for a tour, continued walking through the house to look at all of the rooms herself. After thoroughly exploring the house, she noticed that there were three bedrooms on the main floor, but there was a staircase leading upstairs. She looked at Eric, asking her question with her eyes.

"That leads to the master bedroom," he said simply, watching her closely for her reaction. He watched in fascination as that deep blush he was growing to love rose across Sookie's face once more. He tried not to laugh, for he knew what she was thinking.

"That will be your room," he stated simply. Acting as if he didn't know why she was blushing furiously.

"Oh." She said quietly, and looked up the stairs. She began to walk up them, but stopped to turn and ask the unspoken question that had been hanging in the air since she walked in, "Where is your room?"

He smiled softly and said, "In the basement. I will show you later."

She nodded and walked up the stairs. Eric followed closely behind her. He wanted her to have her own room here, and feel comfortable, even though a small part of him hoped he would soon spend a lot of time in her room with her, and she in his.

As soon as Sookie walked into her new room, she immediately fell in love with it. The walls were painted a dark purple, and heavy black curtains hung on hooks next to the window. She had a king size bed with a beautiful bed spread covering it. The bedspread had an intricate black, purple, and white design on it. Her dresser and nightstand were, of course, dark oak. She saw double doors that she assumed led to a closet, and down a small hall was a large master bathroom.

She couldn't help but feel excited about this being her new room, her new home. It was beautiful, and new, and clean. There wasn't one thing about Eric's house that she didn't like. While she still loved her home in Bon Temps, she knew that she only lived there still because of the Stackhouse history there. This house was close to her dream home, and she knew that she would end up spending a lot of time there.

_I'm sure Eric will just _love_ that_, she thought bitterly.

"You like?"

When Sookie turned around to look at Eric, she couldn't help but smile. "I love it," she said with a smile. "I feel spoiled. This room is so beautiful."

"Well, you deserve it," he told her, and walked toward her. He slowly and gently tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, and his eyes roamed over her face, lingering on her lips for a moment.

She gulped, suddenly feeling nervous, and moved her face away from his gaze, looking anywhere but him. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why is this room painted purple? I just wouldn't figure you to have a purple room in your house…"

Eric smirked and watched as Sookie went over to sit on her bed. She kept avoiding his gaze. He liked that he had an effect on her, but did not like her reaction to said effect. He would have to remedy that. "This was going to be Pam's room, but she decided that she wanted to buy a place for herself."

"Oh. I always thought you two lived together…"

Eric nodded, "We did. For over a century. Actually she is still over here so often, it's as if she didn't even move out." Sookie noticed that Eric's eyes softened considerably when he talked about his child. She could see that he loved her very much.

"What does it feel like? To have that kind of bond with someone else?" Sookie asked. She had wondered that since Dallas after she saw Godric and Eric together, as well as Lorena and Bill.

Eric walked over and sat next to Sookie on her bed and gave an unnecessary sigh. It was a hard answer to give. "Were you ever bonded to Bill?"

"Well… he had my blood. But I don't think that's the same as what you and Pam have."

"You're right, it's not," Eric told her. He was silent for a moment as he wondered how he was going to explain his bond with Pam. He also wondered why he was bothering to explain it at all. Most vampires would never explain something like this to a mere human…. _But she is not just a human_, he argued to himself silently.

"A blood bond between a vampire and human is similar to one between a maker and child, but not as strong. It's an unconditional commitment that cannot be severed unless one was to meet the true death. And even then, a vampire still is loyal to their maker or child."

Sookie nodded, understanding a bit more. "So, do I have a blood bond with Bill?"

Eric felt anger rise through him as he realized that Bill brought Sookie into their world, yet he explained nothing to her about it. Absolutely nothing. If she had been his first… well, Eric thought bitterly, she would know more about their world, and he would still be able to keep her safe. The more Eric heard about Bill, the less he thought of him. Bill was one vampire in his area that he would never count on for anything. Except to screw up. He would always count on Bill to do that.

"Did you ever exchange blood with Bill?"

"Well… I had his, and he had mine…"

"Did you exchange blood simultaneously?"

"No."

"Then, no, you don't. While he can feel you and sense you, you can not sense him." And while Eric didn't like that, he was very happy that her bond with Bill was not permanent.

"I could do that?"

"If you had a bond, then yes. After three exchanges, the vampire and human are considered married."

"Oh." Sookie murmured quietly and looked down at her clasped hands in her lap. There was so much about the vampire world that she did not know or understand, and yet she was fully in it. She began thinking back on her night, and remembered something from earlier that she just now noticed. "Eric? Why did you tell everyone at Fangtasia that we are bonded?"

Eric looked over at her, and said, very calmly, "Because, we will be. Tonight."

Sookie's eyes grew wide and she stood up quickly off the bed to stare down at Eric. "You're forcing me to marry you!"

"What! No!" Eric said quickly and stood up next to her. _Not yet, _he thought, surprising himself. He would think about that later once she left, and she wasn't driving him crazy with desire.

"Then why are we bonding?" Sookie yelled.

"Don't yell at me, Sookie Stackhouse!" Eric yelled at her, staring down at her coldly. She needed to learn quickly that she could not take that tone with him.

"I will do what I want! You don't own me!"

"Oh, but I do, Lover. And if you do not start listening to me, and follow my orders, it will result in my death and yours. Or at least, a fate worse than death."

Sookie fought back tears of frustration and fear as she stared up at Eric, shaking. Eric sighed and brought his arms around her, pulling her to his chest in hopes to soothe her fears. He didn't want her to fear him, only to respect him.

"We need at least two exchanges, Sookie. That way I have more ownership over you, and no one will take you from me. This is what you agreed to. This is part of being mine."

Sookie took a deep breath, willed the tears away, and nodded against Eric's chest. Even though she was irritated with him at the moment, she couldn't help by give in to the comfort he was offering her by holding her. She felt so safe in his arms; something she never thought she would feel. "I'm sorry I yelled at you", she whispered softly. She decided to just apologize and move on. She was tired of always fighting.

Eric leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "If it's alright with you, I would like to do an exchange tonight."

Sookie shakes her head against his chest, "Not tonight, please. I've been through so many changes in the last twenty-four hours. I just want a few days to feel like a normal human."

_But you're not a normal human_, Eric said to himself. He knew it would not be wise to say that out loud to her right now. Instead he nodded his head and told her, "I would like to bond before the week is out. The bond we have now is weak, and we need to strengthen it so I know that you are all right."

"And know where I am…"

Eric nodded, "Yes, that too."

Sookie sighed and moved away from his embrace and looked up at him. "Eric, why do you care so much? Just a few months ago I was just a silly, naïve little human who walked into your bar… Now you act like I'm so much more. When did it all change? Why did it change? Why do you care?"

Eric stared at her for a few moments before he answered. "I don't know," he told her honestly. He really didn't. Pam had been asking him those questions for months now, and he was never able to answer her. He asked himself those questions when he noticed that he had feelings for Sookie, and couldn't explain it even to himself. "It just happened. All I know is that I just need to protect you. I need to care for you. I can't stand the thought of you being hurt… And I know that I will never be the same vampire I was before I met you. And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it. Vampires are not supposed to feel this way about a human, Sookie."

"Is it really true that you can't love?" she asked. _I hope it's not._

"No, but it takes longer for us to fall in love. When we do love, we love fiercely, and we never forget that love. It never goes away."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"No," he told her. And he hadn't. Not even when he was human.

Sookie nodded and stepped completely out of his embrace. She suddenly felt the need to have distance. She needed her own space. She hadn't had space from people in so long. A part of her wanted to lock herself up in her home and hide from the world. The other part wanted to stay in Eric's arms. She wasn't sure which side she should indulge in.

Sookie walked away from Eric to put more distance between them and crossed her arms across her chest. She looked down at her feet and asked, "What are we going to do about Jason?"

Eric tried to not smile at her saying "we". He was pleased that she was beginning to rely on him more. "I am going to make some calls tonight, have some people start tracking him. I will let you know when we find something."

Sookie nodded, "Thank you."

"Of course, lover. You must know that I want your family to be alive and safe. They matter to you, therefore their safety matters to me."

Sookie gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you for that. It means a lot to me that you feel that way." She was beginning to trust Eric a bit more…

Eric smiled at her. "Come, lover. I have another surprise for you."

"What is it?" Sookie asked, wary of this surprise. She didn't like surprises.

Eric didn't answer her, just simply left the room, expecting her to follow. She did. They walked quietly down the stairs and out of the back door. They walked toward a three-car garage that sat at the end of the driveway separate from the house. Eric opened a keypad and entered in the pin. The doors opened, and Sookie saw the most beautiful cars that she had ever seen.

"These are just a few of my toys," Eric told her smugly, seeing her reaction. He stepped into the garage and she followed. There was a beautiful, black motorcycle in a corner, a black corvette, and a dark gray Audi. "I have a few other cars in the garage attached to the house, as well as some that are in storage in the city."

"Please tell me you aren't gifting me the Corvette. Cause I'm gonna be honest, I don't think I could drive that," Sookie told him.

Eric looked shocked and disturbed, "Of course I'm not giving you my Corvette, Lover!" Sookie breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm giving you the Audi."

Sookie's eyes widened in shock, "What? I'm not taking that! Eric that is too much. I can't… Besides, my car is perfectly fine."

"It's a piece of shit."

"No it's not!"

"Yes, it is. And it still has that dent on the hood from when Russell stopped it. Take the Audi, Lover. It's safe and reliable, while the yellow piece of shit is not."

"Don't talk about my car that way!"

"It's not your car anymore..."

"Eric…"

"Sookie…"

Sookie sighed, "It's too much."

"You deserve it," Eric said simply, and walked over to the wall where numerous keys laid on hooks, picked up a set, and tossed them in the air. Sookie caught them, and looked down at them warily.

"What if I wreck it?"

Eric shrugged, "Then I buy you a new one. It's just a car."

"You didn't act like that when you thought about me driving the 'Vette."

"That's very different, Lover… that's my baby."

Sookie giggled and shook her head. _Men._ "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"What?"

"Lover… that's an odd pet name, don't you think?"

Eric shrugged again, "It suits. You will be my lover."

"Well, if that ever happens, can't you just call me, like sweetheart, or cupcake or sweet bottom or something? I mean, "Lover" makes me sound like your mistress on the side."

Eric laughed, loudly. It surprised and pleased Sookie to hear it. "Sweet bottom, huh? Hmm… I'll consider it…"

"Ugh, I shouldn't have even said anything…" Sookie muttered under her breath and walked over to her new car. It was an Audi A3; clean and brand new. Sookie gave out a small, happy sigh. It was beautiful to her. Everything was; the houses, the car, the vampire, all were new and beautiful… and a bit scary for her. So many changes in such a short time, she could barely keep up with them.

"I'm glad you like the car," Eric said behind her. Sookie gasped and jumped, not realizing that he was standing there.

"Yes, thank you. But I don't like accepting this… I'll make you a deal, I'll accept the car if I pay for the insurance and gas."

"You really like making deals. Just accept the gift, Cupcake."

Sookie laughed, "You're not serious are you?" Asking more about the nickname than the car.

Eric smiled and winked at her, and it took up as much energy as Sookie could muster to will her knees not to buckle. _He's so beautiful_. "Please, Eric. Let me pay something."

Eric sighed and shook his head at her. "Fine, you may pay for the gas, and that's it."

"Deal. See! We can compromise nicely…"

"You're the only one I will even consider negotiating with, Lover," Eric whispered, staring at her in great interest. Sookie felt herself flush under his gaze and broke eye contact, looking down at her new car. She had to get out of there now or she wasn't going to leave. She needed space to think everything over and clear her head.

"I should probably get home. It's getting late, and I'm pretty tired…" Sookie whispered, not looking up at Eric. She heard as Eric walked closer to her, stopping only when they were a mere inches apart. She held her breath, and willed her rapid heart rate to slow, knowing he could hear it. Eric reached out and opened her car door for her, and Sookie wordlessly climbed in, still refusing to look at him, holding her breath while he reached across her to type something in to the GPS. He was close again, and she could smell him, his face only inches from hers. She closed her eyes and willed the confusing emotions she felt away.

"I put in your address, so you should be able to find your way home. If there are any problems, call me immediately," Eric told her quietly. Her smell practically drugging him, and it took all of his self-control to not drag her out of the car and back into the house to keep her there. "I will come by your house tomorrow night and help you pack some things to bring over here."

Sookie nodded, and stared straight ahead at the driveway in front of her. She didn't know when her feelings for Eric became so strong and unpredictable, and she wasn't sure how much she liked them.

"Okay, see ya then," she said quickly, and started the car.

"Good night, Cupcake," Eric said softly, with a smile. Sookie laughed softly and finally looked over at him. She saw something flicker in his eyes; an emotion that she had never seen there before, but couldn't quite place what it was.

"Good night, Sweet Bottom."

Eric gave her a big smile and closed her car door. Sookie smiled back at him, and slowly drove out of the garage, and down the driveway. She had a lot to think about. But the one thing she really needed to figure out was when she started developing feelings for Eric Northman.


	8. Author's Note

Hello All—

I just want to apologize again for taking so long to update. I will try to update more often. I have a few chapters outlined so hopefully I will be inspired more often and crank more chapters out!

Thank you all for reading this story. It means a lot to me that you all enjoy it so much. This is the first time I have shared any of my work with anyone… Seriously. I am very shy with my work and don't really share it. I was nervous about posting on here at first but you guys have really made me feel better and more confident. Thank you so much for that

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

SPOILER ALERT FOR THE STORY:

-Sophie-Anne and Bill did not have that fight like how they did on the show at the end of season 3. She's still alive and still bitchy… for only a while though.

-I'm trying to take Soric's relationship slow and steady…. Sorry if it becomes frustrating. Let me know if I am going _too_ slowly.

-A new bad guy will be coming… One that I am creating myself. He's not in the actual True Blood universe.

Thanks again everyone!

Bye-Bye for now!


	9. New Alliances

**Chapter Eight: New Alliances**

Debbie walked slowly and cautiously into the fabulous mansion, taking in everything she could. She had been to Russell's home many times, but his mansion was a shack compared to this one. The rooms were large and extravagant, and the décor looked expensive and a bit overdone.

Debbie grinned as she walked through the home because she knew that this was a powerful vampire. A rich vampire. A vampire who took pride in his treasures.

And she knew of the perfect treasure to offer to him for his vast collection.

The female vampire that was leading Debbie through the mansion stopped in front of large, double oak doors and turned to give Debbie a look of disdain before saying, "The King is a very busy vampire. It would be wise if you would hurry this along. He is not a very patient man."

Debbie nodded and looked down to the ground, remembering from her time at Russell's that she was never supposed to look a vampire in the eye. The vampire looked her up and down just as she did when Debbie first walked through the door, and left Debbie alone.

Debbie looked up at the large doors and took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Her whole body was shaking, but she wasn't sure if it was from nerves, or V withdrawal. It had been a week since she had tasted vampire blood. She ran out of the substance and had been unable to find a trustworthy dealer in Jackson.

Debbie felt nothing but anger toward the world and everyone in it. Her fiancée was dead, her new pack broken, her vampire leader killed. She blamed only one person for all of her despair: Sookie Stackhouse.

Sookie Stackhouse had blown through town like a bat out of hell and taken everything Debbie had grown to love and need. Now Debbie was hell-bent on revenge. She heard a rumor that Sookie was not only missing, but also wanted by several high-ranking vampires for her powers, and for her blood. There were whispers that the small-town Southern waitress was a fairy. Debbie knew that vampires were not only addicted to power, and sex, but also fairies. Fairies had always been a weakness for vampires. Vampires loved and hated faeries for the way faeries made them feel. If a vampire were to procure a fairy, they would be looked up to by all other supernaturals and highly respected.

Debbie knocked on the door three times. She ran her hands down her hair and her outfit once more, wanting to move and release some energy. She so badly wanted to take some V and shift. Run wild through the woods, kill, and howl. She closed her eyes and imagined herself doing just that. But instead of running with Cooter, she was running with Alcide. She smiled softly and was soon lost in her peaceful thoughts.

"Come in," a stern, baritone voice commanded.

Debbie's eyes snapped open and she took another deep breath. The daydream helped calm her somewhat, but she still felt shaky. She grasped the knob and slowly opened the door. Without looking at the intimidating vampire in the room, she quickly turned to shut the door behind her.

"I thought I smelled a dog," the voice said in a mocking tone.

Debbie turned around then, and tried hard to bite back a snappy remark. Her emotions had been unpredictable since she started V, as were her words. She knew that this strange vampire would not be as tolerant as Russell had been.

The vampire smiled at her a condescending smile, "You look a little frightened. Do I scare you?"

Debbie had never been good with accents, but she swore his sounded Eastern European. Maybe even Russian. His name also sounded Russian: Ivan Katzev. "Your majesty, I have come to offer you my services."

Ivan, whose skin was much darker than normal vampires, raised one dark eyebrow at her and asked, "What services are you offering, exactly?"

Debbie, keeping her eyes focused on the floor, bowed down before his desk to him, "I have come to offer you information on a fairy-telepath, in exchange for protection…" _And blood_, she added silently.

"Well, I certainly was not expecting this," the beautiful vampire said as he stood up from his chair behind his desk and walked over to a tray where scotch glasses sat, along with a bottle filled with blood. "What do you know of this telepath, dog?"

Debbie flinched at his insult, "I met her. She could read my mind, which was cool, but annoying as hell. She then killed my fiancée, and helped assassinate the Vampire King of Mississippi. She lives in Louisiana in the Area of Sheriff Eric Northman."

Ivan slowly turned toward the Were, and stared at her for a few moments, "Eric Northman? Well my, my, this is useful information. Tell me, what is this fairy like?"

_She's a bitch_. "Stubborn, naïve, and stupid. She puts herself into dangerous situations and expects a man to come save her."

"Hmm… tell me more."

Debbie went through the long story of how she met Sookie, and what she had experienced since meeting her, leaving out her V addiction. She would ask for vampire blood after Ivan had the fairy.

"She certainly sounds like a handful. But I have been looking for a challenge. Life for vampires is too easy now," Ivan told Debbie, somewhat wistfully as if he was thinking back on better times. Darker times.

"I'll go and get her for you, your majesty," Debbie told him, laying on the loyalty in her tone.

The beautiful vampire stared at her coolly, "In exchange for protection? You think I am that dumb, dog? I smelled the vampire blood in you the moment you walked through my door. You are a pathetic addict who is desperate for another pack similar to the one you were in while living in Mississippi. You really think that other vampires, especially the monarchs, didn't know what Russell was doing with those Were's?"

Debbie gulped and looked back down to the ground. Her shaking was worse now with fear.

Ivan chuckled at her fear. He knew all about Sophie-Anne, Russell, and their weaknesses. Sophie-Anne's weakness was her spending habits. She had indebted Louisiana, and the way she ruled over her territory was embarrassing to all vampires. Russell trusted Were's too easily, and was despicable about the way he gave out his blood as if it wasn't sacred. Now that Sophie-Anne owned both Louisiana and Mississippi, she was even more rich and powerful, but was quickly plunging back into debt. The extravagant ball she was planning didn't help her financial status. But the ball gave him a reason to go visit her, and offer her marriage in exchange for financial stability. He didn't actually care about her financial status, he only wanted more territory, and power. A telepathic fairy living under his rule wasn't bad to throw in the mix, either.

He had heard the rumors about the telepath for months at that point. He knew about her visit to Texas, and her kidnapping by the Fellowship of the Sun. He had been intrigued, but the fact that she was a fairy made her even more desirable. It had been too long since he had a bite of a fairy.

"I will be leaving in a couple of days to go to Louisiana. The Queen there is hosting a ball for the monarchs and Sheriff's of the southern states. While I am there, I want you to gather all of the information you can on this fairy. Don't take her, just find out information for me."

"Like what?"

"Where she goes, what she eats, where she lives. Who she takes to bed. Who she is friends with. Everything. And be discreet."

"Yes, your majesty."

"In exchange for your services, I will offer you protection and a membership to a pack in the Dallas-area. I expect you want V as well?"

Debbie's eyes stayed glued to the ground and she nodded stiffly. "It would be nice…"

Ivan snorted and shook his head, sitting back down behind his desk with his glass of blood, "You will receive blood after you have done your job."

"Thank you, your majesty," Debbie said happily, looking up at him. She wanted the blood tonight, but the fact that he was giving it to her at all was more than she hoped. She knew going to him was a suicide mission.

"The only reason why that I have not killed you yet is because you have information that I consider valuable. If you fail or betray me, you're dead. Understand?"

Debbie nodded.

"Excellent. Give your information to Annabelle, the vampire who escorted you in here, so that I may keep in touch with you. You are dismissed."

Debbie left the room quickly and quietly, while Ivan sat back in his chair, smiling about the fact that soon he would own three states, and a fairy.

**O.o.O.o.O**

**Hey everyone! I am at the beach right now, which is why this is such a short chapter. I've been busy and distracted, but I will hopefully have another chapter updated sometime this week/weekend. Hope everyone is having a great week! **


	10. Becoming One

**Chapter Nine: Becoming One**

Sookie was up well before her alarm went off at 9:30 that morning. She had gotten home at 3:30, and went straight to bed. She felt physically exhausted, but mentally wired, so she had difficulty sleeping. For the past twenty minutes, she just laid in bed and made a mental list of what she needed to do that day.

She had promised Sam that she would work the lunch shift at 11, and she knew she needed to talk to him about living with Eric, as well as pack clothes to take to Eric's house. While she was looking forward to living in a newer, updated house, she was worried about being in such close proximity with Eric. Her feelings for him were a jumbled mess, and she knew that if anything were to happen between them, she would have to take it slowly. While her relationship with Bill ended a few months ago to him, it ended only a few days before to her. She wasn't one to jump from one relationship to another so quickly and easily.

Sookie let out a tired sigh, and slowly climbed out of bed. As she walked to her bathroom, she tripped over the black shoes she had worn the night before and nearly fell. She cursed under her breath and continued to walk to the bathroom, only to stub her toe on the threshold of the bedroom room. "Ow! Damn it!" Sookie yelled loudly. She limped slowly to the bathroom, hoping to avoid any more collisions.

She had a feeling it was going to be a long day for her.

Sookie stumbled in to work an hour and half later. She felt horrible. For whatever reason, her water heater wasn't working, so she was forced to take a cold shower. Then, she made herself a cup of coffee, and ended up spilling most of it down her chest and stomach. It not only burned her badly, but dirtied her uniform. She had to quickly wash her clothes, dry them, and treat her burn. After all that, she had forgotten to make herself breakfast, so she just grabbed a nutri-grain bar and left.

Her stomach and chest hurt from the burns, her uniform still had a stain, and her stomach was screaming at her for more food.

It was only 11 A.M., and Sookie already wished for the day to be over sooner.

"Hey Sook," Sam greeted her with a smile from behind the bar. He was happy to see her again, and was even happier that she was back to work for him. He had missed her.

"Hey Sam," Sookie said back, trying to give a genuine smile. It came out looking more like a grimace, and Sam noticed.

"What's wrong, cher?"

"I've just had a rough morning. Don't worry though, I keep telling myself that the day will get better, and I think it will. I think now that I'm back at work and I'll be surrounded by people today that I know, I'll start feeling better. Life will start feeling a little more normal again." Sookie knew she was rambling, and that she needed to relax. She gave Sam a better smile than the one she greeted him with, and walked back to his office to set her purse there and get ready for work.

By the time 4 o'clock was nearing, Sookie was buzzing with excitement that her shift was ending. Her day had not improved. She had listened in on everyone's thoughts, hoping to hear a clue about Jason. While she trusted Eric to find him, she wanted to help find her brother. She couldn't just sit by and let Eric do all of the work. No one was thinking of Jason, though. Instead, they were thinking about her sudden disappearance, and even more sudden reappearance. She heard herself being called "fangbanger" more times than she cared to recall. It saddened her that people were only interested in finding out what "horrible" things "Crazy Sookie" became involved in. No one seemed to care if she was actually all right. The only customer that showed kindness was Jason's best friend, Hoyt Fortenberry.

Sookie was physically and mentally drained by the time her shift was over. She was hoping Eric would leave her alone once she got to his house and let her take a much needed long, hot bath. _Alone._ She needed to be alone for a while. Her mind felt violated by people's thoughts. She was on her way to pick her things up from Sam's office and leave. The dinner shift was getting busy already, and she was looking forward to getting away from all of the loud, jumbled thoughts that were making their way to her.

"Sookie!" Sam called out over the noise of chatter and music from behind the bar. He set a drink down in front of Jane Boadhouse, and ran over to Sookie.

"Yeah, Sam?" Sookie asked warily. She had a feeling that he was going to ask her to stay.

"I hate to ask this, especially since you are only supposed to be working part time, but I need you to stay for another few hours if you can. Arlene called in to say that she has real bad mornin' sickness-or, well, I guess afternoon sickness- and Holly and Jessica won't be here 'till six-thirty. Do you mind helpin' out for a bit longer?"

Sookie tried not to stomp her foot, "Sam, Eric wants me home before dark, I told you that-"

"I know, I know! I'm real sorry. I wouldn't ask for your help if I didn't really need it. Come on Sook, please? Just leave him a message and explain. He might not care…"

Sookie stared at Sam while she thought about what Eric's reaction to her breaking his rules might be. She hated following orders, but she knew that she and Eric made a deal. But she owed Sam…

"Okay, Sam. Just give me a ten-minute break. I need to gather up some more energy," she told him finally. Sam's face broke out into a huge smile and he thanked her profusely. Sookie walked back to Sam's office, picked up her cell phone, and then walked outside to the employee parking lot.

She took a deep breath before calling Eric, attempting to calm her nerves. She was on overload yet again, and needed to calm down before she called Eric. She didn't want to get him riled up as well.

She left a voicemail on his cell phone telling him she was helping Sam at the bar and would be home around seven. She hung up and prayed he wouldn't make a big deal out of her staying late, but with her luck that day, she had a feeling her prayer wouldn't be answered.

Sookie ended up getting home at around eight. The bar was busy that night, and with only two waitresses and a hostess, Merlotte's was struggling to keep up with all of the customers. When seven-thirty rolled around, the crowd died down and Sam gave Sookie the okay to go home.

She had a feeling she was going to face a very large, very angry, Viking Vampire.

Sookie sighed wearily and dreamed of that hot bath she thought about earlier, with a large glass of wine and a cheap romance novel. Her head was pounding from everyone's thoughts. Her exhaustion and mission to find out where Jason was were the main causes for her terrible shields that night. She knew her headache was going to linger well in to the next day.

Sookie pulled up to her home, but did not see a red corvette waiting for her like she thought she would. She leaned over to her purse to look at her phone and saw that she had no new messages from Eric. While she was happy he didn't leave her an angry message, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of hurt that he didn't say anything to her at all. _Does he even care? _She wondered. She shook her head, trying to clear the negative thoughts. She didn't have time to over think Eric's actions-or lack thereof- at the moment. She had bags to pack, and a dinner to fix for herself. She was starving.

Sookie gathered her purse and climbed out of the Audi. As she walked toward her house, she clicked the button on her keychain to lock her car and walked slowly up the front porch steps. Her legs and feet ached.

"Sookie?" A voice called from behind.

She tried not to groan out loud. She knew who was calling her. "What, Bill?" She asked without turning around.

"Please, look at me…"

She closed her eyes, willing herself to stay calm, and slowly turned around to face him. She opened her eyes and looked in to his. He was standing at the bottom of her porch stairs. "What do you want, Bill?" She asked again.

He stared at her for a moment. Hurt, anger, and disappointment burned brightly in his eyes. Sookie couldn't stand to look into his eyes for a moment longer, but did not want to back down. She held his gaze; determination, anger, and annoyance burning in hers. She was determined to not break contact first, or to back down. She was angry with him for showing up at her home, and in her life. She was annoyed by his presence and for thinking that he could just show up.

"You don't have to be with him. You can run away. Run away with me. We could leave Bon Temps and travel. We could travel the world together, and I can show you everything you have always longed to see…"

Sookie felt anger burn inside of her, "You forget your place, Mr. Compton. I am your Sheriff's bonded. It would be in your best interest to remember that."

Bill's mouth turned down, and his brows fell. Anger radiated from him. "I don't know what he is holding over your head to make you say these things, Sookie, but please hear me. I am giving you a way out. We can be free together-"

"Until the Queen wants me?" Sookie spat. She had grown tired of Bill. So very tired. "Bill, you are a pathetic creature. You are a liar, and a manipulator, and I am ashamed to say that I once loved you. Get off my property, _now_."

Bloody tears sprang from his dark eyes, "You can't mean that…"

"I am done with you, Bill. I told you this the other night. I am Eric's now, and he will truly care for and protect me."

"Sookie, _he_ is the liar and manipulator. You have always known that. You hate Eric Northman just as much as I!"

"Come now, Bill… Stop saying such dreadful nonsense. You are hurting my feelings," a sarcastic voice said behind them.

Relief fled through Sookie when she saw that Eric stood behind them. His cocky smirk in place, and his eyes as cold as ever. She shivered again and tried to contain the lust she felt. He looked so beautiful to her, and his blood in her did not do anything to calm her feelings for him. Eric looked up at her sharply and winked at her, telling her silently that he felt what she felt. Sookie felt her cheeks blush with embarrassment and she looked away from Eric and back to Bill. Bill still looked at her, blatantly ignoring his Sheriff. The tears in his eyes that had threatened to spill before were now gone, and a burning hatred showed in them now. Sookie knew he felt her lust through their bond as well, and he knew it was not for him.

"I hope you living so close to my Sookie won't be a problem Bill," Eric said calmly, slowly walking closer to Bill. To Sookie, he looked like a predator stalking his prey, waiting for the right time to strike. "If there _is_ a problem, well, I could always _remove_ you."

Bill finally turns his gaze away from Sookie and looks at Eric. Both of their faces are stone masks, neither one of them showing their true emotions. But their eyes gave them away. Both of their eyes had anger and hostility shining through them. Eric stareed Bill down, waiting for him to make a move against him. He would rather not kill Bill in front of Sookie. Eric knew that killing her ex-lover would not help his plan to seduce her. Instead he planned to detain Bill if he showed hostility, and would take care of him later. Far away from Sookie.

"There is no problem, _Sheriff_," Bill told Eric in a mocking tone. "I would like to congratulate you on your bond with Sookie. What a wonderful _accomplishment_ this is. But I do have one question… If you have indeed bonded with Miss. Stackhouse, then why do I sense, and smell, my blood in her more than yours?"

Eric moved faster than Sookie or Bill could see. Eric had Bill pinned to the ground, his hand wrapped tightly around Bill's neck, and his face and fangs were in Bill's face faster than one could say _"Kill Bill"_. Sookie gasped in shock as Eric growled and kept a death grip on Bill's neck. "_How dare you_," Eric growled, shaking Bill by his neck for good measure. Bill had the brains to at least look terrified. "You are not to smell her, look at her, or even think about her. She is no longer yours and never will be again. She. Is. _Mine_."

Sookie's heart was pounding as she watched the heated exchange. She had never seen Eric so angry, or Bill so scared. She hoped that there wouldn't be a blood bath in her front yard.

"Disrespect me or my bonded again, and I will kill you. The only thing that is stopping me from doing so right now is Sookie. I would rather her not witness such a slaughter, or have her witness me _enjoying_ the slaughter."

Eric slowly let go of Bill's neck and rose gracefully away from him. Bill stood up and ran toward his house as soon as Eric let him go, and Eric forced himself not to chuckle. _Let's see if he'll disrespect me again. _He leaned down and picked up the to-go food he had brought for Sookie and turned to walk up her porch steps. He stopped in front of her and looked in to her eyes, hoping that he wouldn't see fear or anger in them. He was pleasantly surprised when he instead saw gratitude.

Pleased that she was not angry with him, he retracted his fangs and leaned down to softly kiss her forehead. He gently took her keys from her limp fingers and said, "Good evening, Min älskling," as he walked to her front door to unlock it. Sookie looked at his back and was shocked that he was acting so casual after what had just happened. "I brought you dinner. Italian. Pam said that most humans like that kind of food. Was she correct in this assessment?"

Eric turned to look at Sookie as he turned the front knob to open the door. She nodded, still looking dazed and confused. He gave him a charming smile and said, "Good. I picked Chicken Parmesan. Do you like that dish?"

Sookie nodded again. "Excellent. I hope it hasn't gotten cold… are you going to stand out here all night, Min älskling?"

"That's it?"

"What?"

"We're just going to pretend like _that_ never happened?"

Eric looked at her and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sookie shrugged, and then shook her head. "I guess we don't have to…"

Eric smiled and tipped his head in the direction of the door, "Let's get inside. You have eating and packing to do." Sookie nodded and walked in ahead of Eric. Eric closed the door softly behind him, locked it, and headed toward the kitchen. Sookie followed him silently and watched as he reached in to a cabinet to pull out a plate for her food. She wondered how he knew where the plates were, then remembered that he had worked on her house for months and knew where everything was from his time there.

"Sit," he told her softly. She sat down at her old kitchen table and waited patiently as Eric set her food on a plate and poured her a glass of ice tea. He set down the dishes, and then gave her silverware and a napkin. She began eating before he sat down across from her. She was starving and wasn't even trying to use those manners her grandmother had instilled in her years before.

"You were hungry… You should be eating more during the day, Min älskling."

"I was busy. What does that name mean?"

"Min älskling?"

"Yes."

"It means "My Darling" in Swedish."

Sookie smiled and said softly, "Much better." She took another bite of food.

"As I was saying, you should eat more during the day. It is not healthy for you to go long without nourishment. Drink your tea."

Sookie picked up her untouched glass and drank nosily, not realizing until how thirsty she was. She was very drained from her day. "I normally take better care of myself than this, but today I was busy and distracted and I guess I just forgot to eat. I was listening in on a lot of people to see if anyone knew about Jason's disappearance."

"I told you that I would look in to that and you had nothing to worry about."

"Of course I'm going to worry, Eric. He's my brother. He's all I have left. I have to do _something_," she tried to explain.

"I understand, but you are hurting yourself. I will not tolerate that," he told her. When he arrived he saw the weariness in her stance and face. He felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to pick her up and hold her. He wanted to take away all of the damage the world had caused her that day.

Sookie sighed and shook her head at him, "It's amazing; you can be sweet and caring one minute, and overbearing and high-handed the next."

"You love it," Eric whispered devilishly to her with a wink, and Sookie could not contain her grin.

They fell in to a comfortable silence while Sookie finished her meal, "Are you mad that I was later than what I said?"

"I was at first. I called the shifter, and he explained to me the situation. I told him to never do that again, that he needed to stand by his word."

"It wasn't Sam's fault-"

"I understand, Sookie. But if I am to protect you, I need others to follow my orders and help some. Sam was foolish to keep you out so late unprotected, and I was more than happy to tell him so."

"Give Sam a break, Eric. I could have said no…" Sookie defended.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. Sam knows to never do something like that again." Eric told her. He was angry earlier, but decided to not show his anger now. He had hoped that the evening would go smoothly, but his wish had not been granted. After his fear and anger earlier, and his exchange with Bill, Eric was more than ready to pack Sookie's belongings and go to their new home. He wanted to have a good night with Sookie.

Sookie finished her meal in silence. She sat thinking over the day and her lack of reaction to Eric taking over things. She still felt some control, but noticed that Eric was slowly taking over the reins for her. He told her that he was going to do this, and Sookie was surprised by her willingness to allow it. She realized that it was rather nice having a partner to help her. A partner to look after her, give her dinner, and company. She never had that; not even with Bill. Sookie finished her dinner and stood up to clean off her dishes.

"I spoke with the Queen today," Eric told Sookie softly as she began to wash her dishes and clean up. She stopped what she was doing, and Eric felt fear flow through their weak bond. He walked up and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "She isn't coming for you, or me for that matter. I mended my relationship with her months ago after I explained how I wanted my revenge on Russell. In order for me to ensure that she would not take you, I had to agree that she could use your telepathy when she needed it, and if I thought the particular mission was acceptable."

"Is all of that really necessary?" Sookie asked warily. She started cleaning the dishes again and leaned back into Eric's chest, feeling comfort, silence, and safety in his embrace.

"Yes," he said softly, and leaned his cheek against her hair. He hated that he had to agree with the Queen, "Please understand, Min älskling, I was only trying to keep peace. Sophie-Anne was not pleased that I claimed you. I had to do what I could to ensure our safety."

Sookie drained the water from the sink and nodded her head, "I understand… It's a small price to pay, I suppose."

"You are being rather agreeable this evening, Min älskling," Eric joked.

Sookie smiled and shrugged, "I'm tired and don't feel like fighting."

"I understand."

Sookie dried off her hands and turned around in Eric's embrace. "Let's hurry up and pack so I can get to bed soon."

"Will I be joining you?" Eric asked, one eyebrow raised and a naughty smirk in place. Sookie couldn't help but chuckle, "No. I would rather sleep alone tonight."

"Pity," Eric murmured, playing with her hair and looking down at her. Sookie felt her cheeks turn red, and she stepped out of his embrace to go upstairs and start packing. She heard Eric follow her to her room. She began to take some of her favorite clothes out of her closet and pack them in her suitcases. She had gotten the suitcases before the ill-fated trip to Dallas, and was glad to have a reason to use them again.

"There is something else I must tell you," Eric said while she packed. Sookie looked up to see him leaning against the door jam, hands tucked in his pockets.

"Is it good or bad?" She asked as she put a pair of jeans in to the suitcase. Now that the weather was cooler she wasn't going to bother packing her summer dresses or shorts.

"Well, it's not ideal…" Eric paused for a moment before he continued on with his story. "I received an invitation from Sophie-Anne. She is hosting a ball for all of the vampire political figures of the Southern States. Why, I do not know. But we are expected to attend."

"But isn't that a bad idea considering most vampires know of my abilities and the Queen wants me for herself?" Sookie asked, feeling angry and scared.

Eric nodded, "Yes, I'm worried. But if we do not attend, the Queen will think I am either hording you, or that I am not truly loyal to her. We must go." Eric hated that they had to go, but there was no stopping it. He knew something like this would eventually happen, but he hoped that he had more time. He needed to bond with Sookie.

"I suppose so… Will anyone protect us there?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, I have loyal friends all over this country who will be there. I have friends in high places Sookie; no harm will come to us." Eric told her cryptically. He didn't want to share everything about his world yet. There were some things that were better kept as secrets.

"Okay. I trust you, but I am still worried," Sookie told him as she walked in to her bathroom to retrieve her make-up and other toiletries.

"We'll be fine," Eric said quietly, hoping to convince them both that his statement was true.

Sookie finished packing in silence. Eric helped her some, but mostly just sat down on her bed, lost in thought. She could tell he was worried, and was thinking of ways to fix everything. At that moment, she wished she could hear his thoughts.

"I'm ready," she told him softly. He didn't answer her, didn't move. She sat down next to him on her bed and looked at him, waiting patiently for him to work through whatever thoughts he was having. She wondered if he was regretting making her his.

"We need to bond tonight, Min älskling," he told her softly, still not looking at her.

Sookie nodded, "I know."

They sat in silence for a few more moments.

"How should we do this?" She asked.

Eric looked at her then and slowly moved his body up the bed until his back rested against her headboard. "Come sit with your back against me." Sookie did as he said, and settled against him. She felt a little nervous, but deep down she knew that Eric would take care of her. She wasn't sure when she started trusting him so profusely, but she did.

"I am going to give you my wrist, and you will drink my blood while I drink yours. I promise you I will be more gentle than last time."

Sookie winced at the memory of him biting her at _Fangtasia_. She nodded, and heard a _crunch_ noise, before Eric's bloody wrist was represented to her. She hesitated for a moment, then pressed her lips to his wrist and slowly sucked. She was expecting the blood to taste metallic, but instead it tasted sweet. Like chocolate covered fruit. She closed her eyes and felt Eric sink his fangs slowly and carefully into her neck. The sensation was not hurtful instead it felt good. _Pleasurable_, even. She moaned softly and latched on to his wrist harder. She heard Eric moan as well and began hearing a voice inside her head. _'So good… tastes so good… feels so good… must have her, must wait for her. Want her so badly… so good… Must keep her…'_

Sookie gasped and opened her eyes when she realized that the thoughts she was hearing were Eric's. She closed her eyes again and tried to calm herself. She didn't want him to know that she had heard him. If vampires knew that she could possibly hear their thoughts, she would be killed. She trusted Eric, but she wasn't sure if he would like that she could hear his thoughts. She wasn't sure how he would react. She decided to keep it a secret.

Images began to flash before her eyes as soon as she decided to keep her new ability a secret. Images of the Sea. The wind was blowing harshly. She could practically feel it against her skin. The sun shined brightly overhead, and the air smelled and tasted of salt.

_Memories_, Sookie realized. _What is his blood doing to me?_

The wound on his wrist closed, and Sookie licked her lips, hoping to savor the flavor of his blood. Eric let go of her neck and pricked his finger to put his blood on her wound. He didn't want bite marks or scars to mar her body. He closed his eyes and licked his teeth, savoring her blood. He had never tasted a creature so sweet. She tasted like the sun, like home. She tasted like everything he missed from his human life.

"Sookie," he breathed out. He wanted to tell her so much. He wanted to tell her how wonderful she tasted, how she had changed his entire existence, how she was never allowed to leave him again, that he wouldn't be able to bare it. He wanted her, needed her. He could never let her go. It wasn't just the blood, it was also just her. She was becoming everything to him, and it scared him.

_Get a grip_, Eric told himself sternly. He was a Viking, and a powerful vampire. _Don't let her take over_, he told himself. But he knew that no matter what he kept telling himself, that she would take over, and she wouldn't even realize that she had.

Their bodies were tingling from the bond, and Eric could feel her much better than before. He felt her fear and confusion, but also contentment, and something else… It was an emotion he couldn't understand, and decided to figure it out later. He knew that she was exhausted. "Let's go home," he told her quietly. She nodded, and stood up slowly and on shaky legs. Eric grabbed her hand before she could walk away from him, and she turned to look down at him. Desire and longing burned in his eyes and he stood up slowly, not breaking eye contact. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. He felt her lust and longing flare in the bond, but he didn't try to move the kiss any further. He was going to take his time with her. He wanted her to come to him.

He looked down into her eyes when he broke away, and nearly smiled at the daze look on her face. _She will yield to me soon_, he thought arrogantly.

He stepped away from her and picked up two of her suitcases easily. "Let's get going, Cupcake," he said as he walked out of the room. Sookie stood still for a moment, staring at his retreating figure. She shook her head, trying to un-fog her brain, and picked up her make-up bag. She turned off the lights, closed her bedroom door, and quietly left her ancestral home with the Viking.


	11. New Orleans

**Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay! I have a good excuse… I live in Virginia, and within the last few weeks we had an earthquake, a new semester started for me, AND a hurricane hit us… It was an exciting week! College is starting up and getting busy already (another reason for the delay). I hope I will be able to update frequently this semester. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter (there is a tiny bit of citrus hehe). I'll try to update soon! (Hopefully no more natural disasters happen…)**

**Chapter Ten: New Orleans**

Eric sat at his desk in Fangtasia, staring blankly at his computer screen. Instead of reading his emails from the other Area Sheriff's of Louisiana, he was instead thinking about his telepathic bonded, as usual.

Eric had never allowed anyone to get under his skin. He had never allowed himself to love (unless it was for his Maker, or Child). In his thousand years, he had never experienced the emotion for a human, and it confused and excited him to feel it now. He wasn't sure when he started loving Sookie, or even how he figured out that the feeling was indeed _love_. Was it when he first saw her? Was it in Dallas when she comforted Godric before death? He didn't know. All he knew was that she always left him feeling… _fuzzy _inside, even after their first meeting.

Eric smiled when he thought about the first time that he saw her. It had been another boring night at _Fangtasia_ until she entered with Bill Compton, and wore a tantalizing white dress with red flowers on it. She stood out in the crowd not only because of her dress, but also because of her smell. Even then Eric knew she wasn't completely human, but he did not expect her to be a fairy. Most believe that fairies were wiped from existence thanks to vampires. How wrong they all were.

Eric sat back in his chair, giving up trying to focus on his work. Instead, he thought about the night before when he brought Sookie to his home to stay. She had fallen asleep in the car before he even got on the highway to go to Shreveport. He held her hand silently through the whole drive. When they finally reached his home, he gently picked her up and took her to her new bedroom. She had yet to see his room, and while he was tempted to take her there so she could sleep with him, he knew she would be disoriented and possibly frightened when she awoke not knowing where she was.

He laid her gently on her bed and slowly took off her shoes and socks. He debated with himself whether or not he should put her pajamas on her. She would most likely feel anger when she awoke with different clothes on, but he knew she would sleep better with her pajamas on. Deciding to change her clothes, Eric quietly went down to retrieve her bags from his car, and when he reached her room, he gently set the suitcases down and dug through one to find some sleepwear. He shook his head as he pulled out a purple tank top, and matches pants for her. He had never understood sleepwear. He preferred to sleep naked, and he didn't understand why one would dirty clothes when all they were doing was sleeping.

Slowly and carefully so he wouldn't wake her, Eric changed Sookie out of her clothes and put on her pajamas. To save her modesty, he left her bra and underwear on. He only wanted to deal with so much of her anger the next day.

Once she was changed, he gently moved the covers down and put them over her. She sighed quietly and curled her arms around her pillow, a small smile gracing her mouth. Eric wondered what she was dreaming of, and hoped the dream was of him. Unable to control himself, he leaned down and brushed his lips softly across her forehead, whispering, "Good night, sweet Sookie."

The door to Eric's office opened, jarring him from his thoughts.

"Pam, I really think we overdid it…" Sookie said in a huff. While she enjoyed having some much needed girl time/shopping, she was annoyed with how much Pam made her purchase. When she left for the evening with Pam, she thought she was just going to buy a gown for the ball. Instead, Pam was somehow able to convince her to also buy three new pairs of shoes, a purse, five sweaters, lingerie, and a new pair of jeans. All of which, she was "not allowed" to pay for.

"Nonsense, that was nothing. Eric normally has a much larger dent in his bank account when I go shopping. If it weren't for your whining, we would have much more bags to carry."

Eric shook his head at his two women, and smiled, "Have fun?"

Sookie looked at him for the first time since she walked in and smiled, "It was nice. I feel guilty, but I did get some beautiful things."

"That's all that matters," he told her. "Care to model what you purchased for me?" He smirked when he saw the blush rise on her cheeks and neck.

"Um… maybe later," she told him softly. Her blush deepened when she imagined modeling her new lingerie for him. _Too fast, Sook_.

"Very well… Pam, go enthrall the vermin. I have some things to discuss with Sookie." Pam merely raised an eyebrow at him, before glancing at Sookie once more and leaving the room. Sookie set her bags on the brown leather couch in Eric's office next to Pam's, and sat down next to the bags. She let out a weary sigh and leaned her head back, finally having peace and silence. Pam wore her out with shopping, as well as the human thoughts that somehow found a way through her walls. Sookie had nearly forgotten how miserable a large public setting could be for her.

"Did Pam behave herself?" Eric asked her. Sookie lifted her head up to look at him. He was leaning against the edge of his desk, arms crossed in front of him. Sookie thought he looked like a model from GQ.

"Yes, she was great. Pretty patient with me, too. I was pretty picky about what I was purchasing once I found out you were paying," Sookie admits.

"Really? I never knew that you were one to have difficulty accepting a gift," Eric teased.

Sookie blushed again, "I guess I'm just not used to gifts; especially expensive ones. Besides, I don't want to be a kept woman."

"They are just gifts, Min älskling. Don't over think it."

Sookie nodded slightly, "I know. That's how I ended up with all of these bags," she laughed softly. He smiled at her, pleased that she seemed to be happy. Too often in the past had he seen her hurt or in danger. He was glad that she finally seemed to be on a path she was happy with.

They stared at each for a few moments, and a comfortable silence fell. Sookie was the first to break when she asked, "Where were you this evening?"

"I've been here, working," Eric said. He thought Pam would have told her.

"Oh, okay. I was just wondering because I was in the shower when the sun set, and by the time I was getting ready, you were gone…" Sookie explained, hoping she didn't sound ridiculous to him.

Eric smiled kindly and walked over to stand in front of her. Sookie had to crane her neck to keep eye contact with him. She could easily get lost in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Min älskling, but I had important business to attend to. Actually, I was meeting with someone who found information on your brother."

"Jason? Is he okay? Where is he? Did you find him?" Sookie asked in a rushed tone. Her heart started racing with thoughts of her brother injured, or worse, dead.

"Sookie! Sookie, it's okay," Eric reassured her, kneeling in front of her, taking her face in his hands. He hushed her and kissed her cheek, hoping to calm her down. He sent tranquility to her through their bond, hoping it would help her. When he heard her heart rate slow, he removed his hands from her face to hold her hands. "Your brothers sent was found through woods in Bon Temps that lead to a small community known as Hot Shot. Have you heard of it?"

"Yes," Sookie answered, feeling much more calm and rational, "The people there are very trashy, I hear, and odd. What would Jason be doing there?"

"That I do not know. Hot Shot is also a were-panther community, so I am unwelcomed there. But there are some in the werewolf pack of Shreveport who owe me a favor. I will ask one of them to look for Jason there. They will most likely be more welcomed than I would, even though there is some rivalry between weres."

Sookie nodded, "Okay. Do you… think he's alive?" She had to force herself to say the words. She couldn't stand the thought of Jason being gone. While they had their differences, he was still her brother, and all she had left.

"I don't know," he told her softly. He hoped he was. Not that he was Jason Stackhouse's biggest fan. If he weren't Sookie's brother, he would be dead by now for using V. But Eric knew that Jason was important to Sookie, therefore he would do everything he could to bring him back to her.

"Thank you, Eric, for everything. I would be going crazy right now if it weren't for you," Sookie told him. She was being honest; she knew that without Eric there she would not only feel alone and lost, but she would still be at Merlotte's listening in on people. It would drive her to insanity.

Eric just smiled at her, keeping his thought, _'I would do anything for you'_, to himself. They stared at each other for a few moments, and Eric watched as Sookie's eyes shifted to his mouth, then back up to his eyes, silently pleading. He heard her heart beat quicken again, but felt lust and longing through the bond, not panic. Eric leaned forward slightly, not taking his eyes away from hers. He was watching carefully, making sure she would not back away from him, that she would not run again. He watched in fascination and arrogance as she closed her eyes slowly and tilted her neck slightly towards his face, his mouth. He nearly smirked, but instead he closed his eyes and claimed her mouth with his own, showing his care, lust, and longing in the single kiss.

He tugged on her bottom lip lightly with his teeth, willing his fangs to not extend and accidentally cut her. He felt her moan against his mouth, and a surge of confidence ran through him. Grasping the back of her neck firmly, but gently, he deepened the kiss, laying her gently down on the couch.

The bags creaked under them, and Sookie moved her back slightly to find a comfortable position on top of them, not breaking their kiss. Eric growled in frustration, and pulled Sookie forcefully to his chest, sweeping the bags off the couch in one fluid, graceful motion. He laid her gently back down and continued to assault her mouth, and began moving his mouth down her jaw line and neck.

Sookie gasped and panted underneath him, and grasped his hair as he kissed her neck and chest, running his hands along her hips and waist. Her entire body felt like it was buzzing and tingling. She couldn't help but moan again when Eric put his mouth back to hers. She groaned when she heard his cell phone go off in his pocket. She never wanted the kiss to end.

Eric growled and slowly pulled himself away from Sookie, staring down at her with unadulterated lust. Sookie blushed under his gaze, and began to feel slightly thankful that the annoying device went off. She knew that they would not have stop at kissing, and she didn't want her first time with Eric to be on an old leather couch, in his office, at a bar.

"I'm busy," Eric hissed into the phone, not taking his eyes off Sookie, noting her blush. He groaned when he smelled her sweet blood rush to the surface of her skin. His fangs nearly clicked out.

"The vermin are getting restless. They want to see their 'Viking'," Pam told him dryly. "So, why don't you leave Little Bo-Peep in your office, and come out here."

"Kom ihåg vem du pratar med," _Remember who you are talking to_, Eric growled. He was annoyed with his child for interrupting this precious moment with Sookie because of _humans._

"Master," Pam said, sweetly, but still laced with a biting tone, "Will you please leave Ms. Stackhouse in your office, so you can come out here and enthrall the vermin. They are getting restless and wish to see you."

"No, Pam," Eric told her, rising off Sookie. Once he was standing by the couch, he spotted something red laying on the floor, and smiled devilishly. "Sookie and I are leaving to go pack for our trip. You should as well."

"I already have."

"Good. Then you shall be at my house in two hours. Have Chow close," Eric told her, hanging up before even hearing her response. He looked back over at a still-slightly-panting Sookie, and smiled. He enjoyed seeing her hot and bothered because of him. "Sorry about that, Pam seems to be in a mood at the moment."

"It's alright," Sookie said breathlessly, looking up at him. She sat up to a sitting position on the couch and looked down at all of the bags. "I should get everything together to take back…" she murmured softly, breaking eye contact with him. On her knees on the floor, she began to gather her shopping bags. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Eric bend down next to her to help. After placing Pam's bags back on the couch, Sookie gathered her own bags in her arms and looked at Eric, "Well, ready to go?"

"Yes," Eric said, with a sneaky smirk. Sookie turned around, not wanting to look at him for a moment. She felt like she still needed to collect herself after what just happened. Her hand had just made it to the knob of the office door when Eric called out her name. She turned around and flushed with embarrassment when she saw what he was holding. Her new, fire engine red, see through, nightie that Pam told her would be "beneficial" if she purchased.

Eric held up the flimsy article of clothing with a devilish smirk, his eyes openly raking over Sookie's body, imagining her in it. _I'm glad she's buying more red clothing. _"Did you get this for me?"

Sookie stalked forward, not looking Eric in the eyes, and snatched the garment out of his hands, shoving them in her bag. Without a word, she turned back around, back straight with pride, and walked out the door, leaving a laughing Eric behind her.

Eric and Sookie had barely spoken since what happened in his office. It wasn't that either was embarrassed, or angry. Eric was, in fact, thrilled at the progress they were making. Sookie was happy that they were on better terms, but felt confused on where to go from there. She didn't know if she should go faster or slower with him.

They packed their belongings within forty-five minutes, and Sookie was able to avoid Eric longer by making herself a late (or, perhaps _early_) dinner. Soon afterward, Pam walked in with four suitcases. After her walked in a shorter, thinner woman, with thick black hair and large brown eyes named Thalia. To Sookie, she looked menacing, and Sookie wanted nothing more than to keep her distance from her. The person who walked in after Thalia was an Asian vampire named Chow. He had a pleasant face, but Sookie could tell that Chow was just as menacing as Thalia; he was just not as open with it as she seemed to be.

They all piled in to Eric's Cadillac Escalade, and were on their way to New Orleans by 3 A.M. Sookie sat in the front with Eric, while Pam, Thalia, and Chow sat together in the back. No one spoke a single word, and Sookie eventually fell asleep.

"Sookie," a voice breathed softly against her ear. Their voice sent shivers down her spine.

"Sookie, we're here," the voice told her again, and a hand began to lightly shake her.

Her eyes opened slowly and met Eric's blue ones. Their faces were inches apart, and Sookie felt the urge to kiss him again. As if reading her thoughts, Eric lightly brushed his lips across hers. Sookie closed her eyes at the sensation, and waited for more. It never came.

Her eyes opened, looking up at Eric in confusion. He merely smiled, "As much as I would like to ravish you right here and now, Min älskling, we do not have time."

Sookie nodded and blushed, feeling embarrassed over her raging hormones. Eric gently pulled her chin to him. He kissed her softly once more before he whispered, "Do not ever be embarrassed around me, Cupcake."

The silly nickname made her smile and her blush disappeared.

Within seconds, Eric was gone from the driver's seat, and was opening the door for her on the passenger's side, holding out his hand to help her out of the car. She gratefully took his hand, not trusting her knees at that point, and stepped out of the car. Her eyes immediately went to the large mansion in front of her. It looked cold and unwelcoming to her, but still magnificent. The architecture was breathtaking.

Sookie felt useless as she watched Pam, Chow, and Thalia take their luggage out of the Escalade and walk past her, ignoring her question asking if she could help them. Eric smirked at her, obviously thinking she was silly for even offering, and held out his hand to her. She took his hand gratefully, needing the strength and confidence she knew he would give her. The pair slowly followed the other vampires into the mansion, and Sookie could not help but cringe as the heavy doors shut behind her when they entered the home.

She briefly wondered if that would be the last time she would go through those doors.

The thought made her feel more nervous, and Sookie berated herself for thinking negatively. Eric, feeling her emotions, squeezed her hand in reassurance, making her look up in time to see him wink at her. She gave him a weak smile and looked forward again. Pam, Chow, and Thalia were speaking to other vampires in the foyer about the bags and their rooms while Sookie and Eric continued on toward a large set of doors at the end of the hall.

"Pam," Eric whispered so low that Sookie would not of heard him if she hadn't been walking next to him. When she looked up at him again, he still had not taken his eyes off the door they were walking towards. Sookie felt a gust of wind behind her, and gasped as she turned around to see what was coming at them from behind. Her heart beat furiously as she looked at Pam's face. Sookie envied Pam for how calm she looked. She had one eyebrow raised and a smirk, so like Eric's own smirk, graced her full lips, making her look cool and collected.

Sookie turned back to the door that was only a few feet away at that point, and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. _I have to be strong. I have to be strong for not just me, but Eric as well_, she told herself.

The doors opened for them and Sookie fought the urge to shield her eyes from the nearly blinding sunlight.

_Sunlight?_

"Sheriff Northman! So glad you could make it…" Sookie looked toward the woman who sat on a chaise lounge in the sunlit room in front of a large pool. Her hair was fiery red and fell slightly pass her shoulders in tight curls. Her make up was smoky, and done to perfection. She wore a glittering green suit and pearls. Sookie thought she was gorgeous, but sensed evil and greed around her. It was as if it radiated from her being.

Eric bowed deeply by her side, and Sookie wondered if she should do the same. Not wanting to be outright disrespectful, but also not wanting to submit, Sookie merely nodded her head in the Queen's direction.

"So this is the fairy?" The Queen asked, looking down her nose to Sookie, as if she was shocked and disappointed in Sookie. Sookie internally scoffed. _I can fry your face off, bitch. _Sookie's back straightened, shocked by her thought, and she scolded herself for thinking so violently, wondering where those thoughts came from. _Gran raised me better than that_, she told herself.

"Your majesty, if I may introduce Miss. Sookie Stackhouse of Bon Temps, the renowned telepathic fairy-human and my blood-bonded." Eric said, a hint of pride in his tone. Sookie glanced up at him, and saw his gaze flicker to her briefly, before turning back to his Queen.

"Yes, yes, I know. She is your bonded. You don't have to keep rubbing it in," the Queen wined. Sookie wondered how this vampire even became a Queen. She looked like royalty, but did not act like it.

"Your rooms have been prepared. My child Andre and bodyguard Issak will take you to them. If there is anything you wish to have, please let someone on my staff know."

"Thank, your majesty," Eric said in a bored tone. Sookie could tell he wanted nothing more than to leave, and soon.

"Sookie, I hope you enjoy your time here. Who knows, you might enjoy it so much you'll never want to leave…"

Sookie heard a faint growl from Eric's chest, and could have sworn she heard his fangs click out. She kept her eyes locked with the Queen's, defiance burning brightly in them, "Thank you for your hospitality, but I am happy in my hometown, with my _bonded_." She had a feeling she would pull the 'I'm Eric's bonded' card frequently during her stay with the Queen. Eric squeezed her hand, but Sookie wasn't sure if it was in approval, or warning.

The Queen's smirk fell and she sat up straighter on her lounge, "Yes, well, if you do decide to stay, don't be shy in telling me so." Sophie-Anne stared Sookie down, and Sookie had never felt so exposed under one's gaze before.

"But before you retire for the evening, I have a question for Sookie…"

Sookie braced herself for the question that would no doubt make her feel scared and uncomfortable, and cause the armor she was wearing internally to shatter.

"Have you seen your dear cousin, Hadley?"

The question nearly threw Sookie off, surprised that the Queen still cared about Hadley. Sookie had last seen Hadley at the Shreveport aquarium with her telepathic son, Hunter. Fearing for their lives, Hadley ran off, never telling Sookie where she was going.

"I haven't seen her in over a year, your majesty." A lie, but Sookie was not about to tell this woman her family secrets.

Sadness crept up on the Queen's features, but her face became a stone mask once again. Sookie wondered if she imagined the sadness in her eyes, for the emotions had changed so quickly.

"Very well. Good night Sookie, Eric."

Eric and Sookie both nodded to the Queen and walked out of the room, Pam following quietly behind them. Once the doors closed behind them, a young dark featured vampire approached them, staring hungrily at Sookie.

"Sheriff Northman, please follow me."

Sookie and Eric glanced at each other. He squeezed her hand once more, and Sookie inhaled and exhaled deeply, hoping the worst was over.

Andre led the trio upstairs to a lavishly decorated hall. Sookie admired some of the decorations, and scoffed at the others. The Queen, she decided, had strange taste. Sookie wasn't sure if the house was beautiful or gaudy.

"This will be your room, Sheriff. As requested, your child's room will be the adjoining room next door. If there is anything else you need, please let someone on staff know."

He left after that, but not before giving Sookie another lustful look. She swore she saw his fangs run down when he looked at her. She thought he was stupid to do that in front of Eric. _He'll get his_, she thought triumphantly, thinking of a stake going through his chest. Sookie shook her head slightly, clearing the thoughts, and began wondering again why she was filled with violent thoughts that night.

Sookie heard Eric speak in Swedish to Pam quickly, before pulling Sookie in to their room, slamming their door shut. Before her brain could catch up with her body Eric leaned down and captured her lips in his own. Sookie moaned and ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer. Her body, trapped between his and the door, ached for his hands, for release, for love, and safety.

Eric pulled back slowly from Sookie and looked down at her lovingly. He wanted her, badly. But he refused to let their first time together be in his rival's home. They deserved more than that after all they had been through.

She looked at him sadly and whispered, "Why did you stop?"

He chuckled and scooped her up in his arms, taking her to the large king sized bed and laying her gently on it, removing her shoes for her and setting them down by the bed. "When we have sex for the first time, it will not be in my office at Fangtasia on that old leather couch, or her in my Queens home. We deserve much better than both."

Sookie smiled at his thoughtfulness, and sat up, cupping his face in her small hands. She kissed him tenderly and whispered, "Thank you."

Eric smiled down at her and kissed her forehead, before turning away to dig through their suitcases, looking for her nightclothes. Once he pulled them out for her, he laid them on the bed, and told her softly, "I must speak with Pam. Get ready for bed, and I will be back soon."

Sookie nodded, not even bothering to argue. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep. He quietly left the room, and Sookie changed in to her blue nightgown. She walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and see to her "human needs", as Eric liked to say, speeding up her nightly rituals so she could go to bed faster.

Sookie felt cold from the tile of the bathroom floor, and happily curled under the covers of the large bed, turning off the light and rolling over to sleep. She began to feel guilty for not giving Eric a proper good night, but as soon as the thought passed, her eyes were quickly falling and sleep overcame her.

Eric stepped back in to the room 30 minutes after she fell asleep. He smiled softly, looking at her curled up under a mountain of covers. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair mused, and Eric thought she had never looked so beautiful. He slowly took of his clothes, not taking his eyes off her form, and slowly crawled in to bed next to her. He gently brushed her hair away from her forehead, and kissed her lightly. She moved ever so slightly in her sleep, moving closer to his side.

Eric smiled and settled in to the bed, wrapping his arm around Sookie, pulling her softly to lay her head on his chest. He let out a sigh of relief. He had wanted to lay with her like he was the entire day. He needed to feel her close to him.

"I will always protect you, Sookie Stackhouse," he whispered to her. He stroked her hair lovingly and watched her sleep, until he felt the dawn pull him to his own slumber.

Hey guys—

So I know I update slowly (and I am REALLY sorry about that) but sometimes I get confused on what I have posted, and what I haven't. If things start sounding redundant, random, etc. please let me know so I can fix my mistakes and not do it again. Thank you for reading!


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